The NFL celebrates Latino Heritage Month highlighting Latino coaches, staff, and fans
September 15 marked the beginning of Latino Heritage Month and the NFL is amongst those celebrating, with a season-long campaign called “Por La Cultura”.
National Hispanic Heritage Month, sometimes known as Latino Heritage Month, is celebrated from September 15 to October 15 every year in the United States. Several companies and sports teams recognize the month and hold events and campaigns to celebrate it. Amongst those celebrating this year is the National Football League. The NFL has several Latino players, coaches, staff, and fans.
Since 2019, there has been a decrease in Hispanic and Latino representation among players, but despite that, the NFL Latino fan base has continued to grow. There are currently two Latino head coaches in the NFL - Brian Flores of the Miami Dolphins and Ron Rivera of the Washington Commanders. Tom Flores was the NFL’s first ever Latino quarterback and head coach and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame last year.
“I think about my influences and what I can do for the next wave, because for me, Tom Flores was that influence,” said Ron Rivera. “With him, I finally had someone representing my ethnicity.
The NFL celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month
The NFL kicked off a campaign called “Pro La Cultura”, which features actor and singer/songwriter Anthony Ramos. The video talks about the way that football embraces culture and encourages unity amongst diversity.
The campaign will continue throughout the rest of the NFL season and will highlight Latino players, coaches, and staff, celebrating their culture and success, and telling stories of the community.
The NFL has partnered with the Hispanic Heritage Foundation for the second year in a row to sponsor an awards ceremony that will recognise Latino youth who have contributed to sports and fitness arenas. Categories include: Business and Finances, Community Service, Entrepreneurship, Education, Healthcare and Science, Media and Entertainment, Public Service, Social Justice, Technology, along with Sports and Fitness. They also partnered with Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement this year, a non-profit organization which educates and helps motivate Latino employees to become better leaders at their jobs, in their communities, and at home.
Por La Cultura music series
As part of the campaign, the NFL is holding a music series, which will see local concerts and events take place in different markets. Participating artists include Piso 21, Dimelo Flow, DJ Camilo, DJ Livia, and Sofia Reyes. In addition to musical events, the NFL is also releasing a mixtape, which will feature several exclusive tracks. The first track is “Rómpela”, a song featuring Yandel. El Alfa, and Will.I.Am.
NFL collaborates with CHITO for limited-edition jerseys
The NFL is collaborating this year with CHITO, a Mexican-American artist who specializes in airbrush style. Together, they will release two limited-edition Mitchell & Ness Legacy jerseys as well as nine official airbrushed helmets to be displayed at the 49ers vs Cardinals game at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, which will take place on Monday, November 21. The collaboration will launch on October 14 and the jerseys can be found on NFLShop.com
For more information about the campaign, visit NFL.com/PorLaCultura.