As Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated across the United States, Woodbridge has shown their support through the hosting of the Hispanic Heritage Festival. Hosted on October 5th, residents of Woodbridge Township were able to experience Hispanic culture through music, food, and more.

Lizbeth DeJesus, a Councilwoman-at-Large in Woodbridge Township, has played a big role in the creation and further development of the event. As the first Latino to ever be appointed or elected to government in Woodbridge Township, Ms. DeJesus wanted to bring a cultural event to the town. “I wanted our Township to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month as a way to educate about the Hispanic culture as well as tear down stereotypes,” she said.

With the first festival being held in 2015, it has been hosted every year since between September 15th and October 15th, in accordance with Hispanic Heritage Month. Ms. DeJesus is aware of the task at hand and looks for assistance from others to contribute to the success of this event. “I seek the participation of all our Township offices to provide information to our residents in English and Spanish, as well as other outside resources that have information that could be helpful to our residents,” she said.

Culture is a big part of a lot of people’s lives. Hispanic people, who occupy nearly a quarter of Woodbridge, have an opportunity through this festival to express and celebrate the culture of their origins. Melanie Pazmino, a Latina resident in Woodbridge, attended the event and spoke about her time there. “I think it is awesome that Woodbridge is celebrating Hispanic culture and bringing a representation of our culture to the community,” she said.

Madison Carral, a Latina student at Woodbridge High School, describes why she thinks Hispanic Heritage is important to celebrate in this town. “It gives other ethnicities a sense of representation that we may not get a lot of on a daily basis. It brings a sense of culture from where we’re from to this town. It’s a way to celebrate with our people.”

Ms. DeJesus speaks of why she thinks the festival is important and her beliefs on culture. “I believe that this event is important because it helps celebrate and include the culture of our residents. The demographics in Woodbridge and around the nation have changed. It’s important for me that we acknowledge and share the best of our culture with those that do not know, and especially with our children. They should know that there is greatness and that anything can be achieved through hard work and dedication. We are people that work hard to achieve the American dream, and continue to be not only proud Americans, but manage to also celebrate our cultures,” DeJesus said.

Lizbeth DeJesus is a prime example of those who are looking to make a change and bring awareness to something that is genuinely overlooked in society. Ms. DeJesus concludes with powerful words about diversity and representation. “In Woodbridge Township we will continue to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. We are a diverse community and we acknowledge and celebrate our differences. I am proud to be the first Hispanic, and it gives me comfort to know that I will not be the last one.” With the current office in Woodbridge, there has been a clear increase in Hispanic representation and advancement.