If you serve beans, they will come ...

I'm not sure if other Hispanics also find it humorous, as I do, the well-intentioned Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations put on by organizations across the country. I've been to many of them in many parts of the country.

As I've always stated, every month is Hispanic Heritage Month at my house. While I appreciate the month, the federally-recognized celebration has turned into luncheon after luncheon of poorly-cooked rice and beans, or some other "ethnic" food cooked by caterers or food service people not accustomed to spices like sofrito or sazon. It's not enough to put out some food and think we'll all come running.

The Arizona Republic recently ran an article -- which illustrates my point -- about the city of Gilbert's municipally recognized Hispanic Heritage Month celebration that was a flop and has the city thinking about not funding an event in the future.

To their credit, the town spent some money and brought it a good speaker. But, was the event planned with the citizens' interests and tastes in mind or just the town's? Also, what is the climate like there the other 11 months?

Evidently, not too good, according to the article. As Gilbert resident Jose Antonio Franco says in the article, town officials need to realize that it is going to, "take more than good entertainment and a once-a-year festival to shed Gilbert's negative reputation. "