BELLEVUE, Neb. (KMTV) — Offutt Air Force Base celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month with events open to the entire base. Air Force Technical Sergeant Erica Huggins, a program manager, is the base’s Hispanic Heritage Committee lead.
She comes from a family of military servicemembers. “I am one of three girls, and the rest are all men. I also have brothers in the military as well. I'm the only female in my family that's in the military,” said Huggins.
Her grandparents came to the United States years ago for a better life. According to Huggins, it’s imperative to maintain a connection to her heritage.
“Having traditions behind me and having my parents teach me about my culture, I can push that to my children and hopefully, my children will push that to theirs,” Huggins explained. “We believe in food as a way of love for us. So, food is huge in our culture.”
2022’s Hispanic Heritage Month theme is “Unidos, “ unity in Spanish. Uniting different cultures is important since the Hispanic and Latino communities aren’t monolithic.
“We represent Mexicans. We represent Salvadorians, Guatemalans, Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, and Latinos. Everyone is included into that Hispanic Heritage Month. We want to make sure that everyone's background and culture is celebrated, not just one,” Higgins said.
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