20th Annual Hispanic Heritage Awards.

The Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF) announced September 8, 2006 as the date for the 20th Annual Hispanic Heritage Awards at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts’ Eisenhower Theater. The theme will be “Looking Back, Looking Forward” and the landmark event will feature past and new Honorees, performers and Youth Awardees in a tribute to Hispanic pride, culture and leadership.

“The Hispanic Heritage Awards will be a culmination of our year-round efforts highlighting and honoring the outstanding accomplishments of the past and future Hispanic role models over 20 years,” said Jose Antonio Tijerino, president and CEO of HHF. “In the coming year, we also will unveil a national public awareness campaign which will include a 20th Anniversary logo, PSAs, educational CD-ROM, a commemorative book, and special appearances by our past Hispanic Heritage Award Honorees at the 12 Regional Youth Award events. This will be a very special year.”

For 20 years, more than 100 Honorees have been selected in various categories. Honorees include cultural icons such as Gloria Estefan, Ricky Martin, Placido Domingo, Celia Cruz, Sammy Sosa, Isabel Allende, Anthony Quinn, Rita Moreno and Andy Garcia, in addition to educators, activists and community leaders such as Raul Yzaguirre, Delores Huerta, Henry Cisneros, Juan Gonzalez, Dr. Antonia Novello, Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez, and even an astronaut Dr. Ellen Ochoa. With an eye toward the future, the 2006 Honorees will once again share the stage with the national recipients of the Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards.

The Hispanic Heritage Awards Honorees are nominated by more than 30 of the top national Hispanic organizations, including: National Council of La Raza, National Association of Hispanic Journalists, National Association of Hispanic MBAs, National Hispana Leadership Institute, ASPIRA, US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, MALDEF, LULAC, and NALEO, among others.

In 1987, the Hispanic Heritage Awards were created to highlight and honor the contributions of Hispanic Americans during a small White House ceremony under the Reagan administration commemorating the creation of Hispanic Heritage Month. Since then, the Hispanic Heritage Awards have grown into the most prestigious Hispanic honor and event in America.

“As a past Honoree from 1990, I am looking forward to seeing old friends who have made a significant impact over the years at the Hispanic Heritage Awards,” said Dr. Pedro Jose (Joe) Greer, Jr., who serves as Chairman of the HHF Board of Directors. “It will be a family reunion of sorts. I’m proud to be a part of an organization that recognizes what can be accomplished with vision, hard work and ganas, a strong will.”

For more information at http://www.HispanicHeritage.org