Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in Alameda
Please join the USS Hornet Museum as we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Day on September 24th from 10 am until 5 pm. We will have special displays, exhibitors, speakers and more to celebrate Hispanic-Americans in the armed forces throughout the history of the US.
The displays and exhibitors will be available all day. Our main event will start at 1 p.m. with speakers and a highly-interactive panel presentation with audience participation. Background of Hispanic History Month: Hispanic Heritage Month is an annual celebration of the history and culture of Latino-American communities. The event, which spans from September 15 to October 15, commemorates how those communities have influenced and contributed to American society at large. The inclusive term Latinx refers to a person’s ethnicity —regardless of race.
Master of Ceremonies: USAF veteran Graciela Tiscareño-Sato (aka Captain Mama) Captain Mama Books | Children's Aviation Book Series
Special Guest Speaker: LTC Marisol Chalas, Camp Parks CO Garrison Commander: CAMP PARKS
Panelists:
1. Michael Lema – U.S. Marine Corps veteran
2. Leo Madrid – U.S. Navy veteran
3. Coast Guard veteran – will be added soon
Special Exhibitors (signed up so far-there are more in the process of confirming):
1. Women’s Veteran Alliance – is the premier network focused on directly impacting the quality of life of women veterans... a community both online and offline including local women veteran networking groups, community events, and national conferences which provide opportunities to connect, grow, and thrive.
2. American Legion César E. Chávez Post 505 - is the nation’s largest wartime veterans service organization, committed to mentoring youth and sponsorship of wholesome programs in our communities, advocating patriotism and honor, promoting strong national security, and continued devotion to our fellow service members and veterans. Cesar E. Chavez Post 505 is committed to supporting all veterans, especially in the Latinx community, and to provide them with VA resources and other entitlements they’ve earned. 3. San Francisco Veterans Film Festival – is the Bay Area’s premier military and veteran film event - a free showcase of unique, independent films that explore the complexities of military service and the challenges of reintegrating into civilian life.
4. U.S. Air Force Recruiting – dedicated to inspire, engage and recruit the next generation of Airmen. AFRS recruits quality men and women from a cross-section of America, responsive to the ever-changing needs of the Air Force.
5. Vets in Tech – supports our current and returning veterans with reintegration services, and by connecting them to the national technology ecosystem. VIT is committed to bringing together a tech-specific network, resources, and programs for veterans interested in Education, Entrepreneurship, and Employment.
6. U.S. Navy Recruiting – leverages an inspirational culture to inform, attract, influence and hire the highest quality candidates from America's diverse talent pool to allow America's Navy to assure mission success and establish the foundation for Sailors to thrive in a life-changing experience.
7. P.E.A.C.E. Inc. (People Evolve as Consciousness Expands) – we expand the consciousness of all we encounter through innovative technology, art and science. P.E.A.C.E. is a team of San Francisco Bay Area consciousness researchers who are also artists and have developed a suite of proprietary computer hardware and software.
8. Team Red, White and Blue – (Team RWB) exists to guide veterans to prioritize their well-being first with real-life and virtual opportunities focused on building a healthier lifestyle because a strong focus on mental and physical health is critical to ensuring veterans’ best days are ahead.
9. Centro Community Partners – builds thriving communities by providing underserved, low-income entrepreneurs with entrepreneurship education, one-on-one business coaching, mentorship, and access to capital.
10. Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps at Cal – is one of the original six pioneering NROTC units founded throughout the country. The unit’s first commanding officer was then Captain Chester W. Nimitz. Since then, NROTC UC Berkeley has been training students in the disciplines of leadership, physical fitness, and military sciences.
11. US Army Recruiter - recruits America’s best and brightest volunteers that are able to deploy, fight, and win.
12. A Future for Veterans Foundation – veteran-owned-and-operated non-profit organization that focuses on the tenets of food, shelter, and water. We provide housing and
supportive services to military veterans and their families, that promote autonomy, authenticity, and purpose for themselves and the communities into which our veterans reintegrate.
13. Rainge Spring Water – veteran-owned small business helps customers avoid the effects of mineral deficiency and dehydration through naturally-occurring spring water that contains 100 Mg/L of recoverable magnesium. We provide that little extra in the ordinary, through 5- and 3-gallon deliveries to your home and business.
Brief bios of panelists (full bios and photos at website: https://uss- hornet.org/calendar/hispanic-american-heritage-day-uss-hornet )
Graciela Tiscareño-Sato (Captain Mama):
Daughter of Mexican immigrants, Graciela Tiscareño-Sato flew in the active-duty U.S. Air Force for over nine years as a navigator onboard KC-135 refueling tankers and became the first Hispanic
female USAF aviator to earn an Air Medal for combat air operations. She graduated from U.C Berkeley where she attended as an Air Force ROTC scholarship cadet. Graciela is a bilingual keynote speaker and bestselling author of nonfiction literature and bilingual children’s books, the latter an aviation trilogy inspired by her decade of service.
LTC Marisol Chalas:
Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Marisol A. Chalas was born in Bani, Dominican Republic and moved to the United States with her family to Massachusetts at the age of nine. She began her military career as an enlisted soldier in July 1990. In 2001, she was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Aviation branch from the Georgia Military Institute Officer Candidate School. She is currently the commanding officer of Camp Parks.
Leo Madrid:
U.S. Navy veteran Leo Madrid has a passion for excellence and an appreciation for all things weird. These traits enabled his quick rise in the gallery world, after active-duty deployment onboard the USS Knox, landing him a director position in one of the largest galleries in the San Francisco Bay Area. Combining his Navy engineering and semiconductor industry experience, Leo recently led a team of scientists and software engineers though the XPRIZE: $500K Pandemic Response Challenge sponsored by Cognizant. The team did so well that they were invited to become part of the Alumni group and will be included in the XPRIZE Technology Hall of Fame in autumn 2022. This consciousness researcher and his team recently opened a dedicated art venue with a state- of-the-art showroom on Alameda Island.
Michael Lema: Michael is a Hayward native and a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who deployed in 2018 to the Middle East to support Operation Inherent Resolve, seeing firsthand what it meant to fight for his country. Today he is a Journeyman Electrician, studying to become an electrical engineer, while entering public service to secure a seat on the Hayward City Council.
What: Hispanic Heritage Day @ USS Hornet
When: September 24th, 10 am to 5 pm
Where: 707 West Hornet Ave, Alameda, CA