The Latino community in Nassau and Suffolk counties, which occupy most of Long Island, has been growing at a rapid rate for decades. 43 years ago, when educator Gil Bernardino founded Círculo de la Hispanidad, a community organization that he today chairs and that is part of our Hispanic Federation, Hispanics only made up 4% of the population. Now, due to immigration and the rapid demographic growth of our community, Latinos are 20% Long Islanders.
“In some towns,” Bernardino explains, “most of the school-age children come from our community. In Hempstead, for example, about 80 or 85% of the kindergarten kids are Hispanic.”
Círculo de la Hispanidad offers girls and boys of elementary or primary school age a valuable program of after-school activities that represents a great help to families in which mothers and fathers work.
“One of the most important components of this program is help with homework,” Bernardino explains. “In this way we help children from immigrant families who are behind in their studies and whose parents are largely unable to help them because they do not speak English. This makes it possible for these students to integrate better in their schools and reduces the level of frustration they suffer. This is very important for children to function well in school.”
In addition to the after-school program, Círculo de la Hispanidad welcomes girls or boys in its Cultural Saturday program, a day on which guitar, tae-kwon-do, Spanish and Hispanic culture classes are offered.
“We dedicate every Saturday to a Hispanic country,” says Gil Bernardino, “which is a way of supporting our children with their identity and for them to learn about the importance and what the Hispanic world really is, which spans many countries. ”.
The agency’s activities aimed at children and young people are not limited to school time, since Círculo organizes summer camps every year, which complement the help to families where adults have to go to work.
“Summer camps are offered in Hempstead and Long Beach for seven weeks,” the Circle founder reports. “But our activities are not limited to our facilities, we also take them on excursions, and to visit museums, parks, even water parks. The idea is that they have a happy summer with us through various activities”.
In upcoming columns I will give you more information about Círculo de la Hispanidad. If you want to contact the organization before then, please call (516) 431-1135.
And if you want to know more about the Hispanic Federation and its organizations, you can visit http://www.hispanicfederation.org. or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter
Celebrate our 33rd anniversary with us, and see you in the next column!
Frankie Miranda is the president of the Hispanic Federation