{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/to-celebrate-hispanic-heritage-month-reed-leads-tour-of-latino-owned-small-businesses", "To Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, Reed Leads Tour of Latino-Owned Small Businesses", "2024-10-09", "2024", "2024-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "RI", "Jack Reed", "R000122", "www.reed.senate.gov", "jackreed", "https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases", "scraper", "CENTRAL FALLS, RI \u2013 In an effort to highlight the Ocean State\u2019s vibrant Latino culture, restaurants, and small businesses, U.S. Senator Jack Reed today teamed up with the City of Central Falls and the Rhode Island Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and lead a special walking tour along Broad Street in Central Falls.\n\nThe theme of this year\u2019s Hispanic Heritage Month is \u201cPioneers of Change: Shaping the Future Together.\u201d Hispanic Heritage Month is observed annually from September 15 to October 15. It is a time to appreciate and celebrate the colorful cultures, rich histories, and diversity of the nation\u2019s Hispanic population whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.\n\nThe special walking tour: \u201cUn recorrido por los negocios hispanos que impulsan y elevan a nuestras comunidades\u201d (\u201cA tour of hispanic businesses that fuel and uplift our communities\u201d), featured several small businesses, both new and long-standing establishments, and amplified ventures that are helping power the local economy forward while also giving back to their neighbors.\n\n\u201cThe theme of this year\u2019s Hispanic Heritage Month is about shaping the future. As we saw during today\u2019s walking tour, Mayor Rivera, the Rhode Island Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and Central Falls\u2019 diverse small business community have embodied that theme through their actions, advocacy, and commitment to their neighbors,\u201d said Senator Reed. \u201cI will continue to stand with Rhode Island\u2019s vibrant and diverse Hispanic and Latino communities to ensure that the future of our state remains strong, prosperous, and welcoming to all who want to plant their roots here.\u201d\n\n\u201cCentral Falls celebrates the rich cultural contributions of our Latino and Hispanic communities and is home to many Latino-owned small businesses that make our city vibrant,\u201d said Central Falls Mayor Maria Rivera. \u201cThank you, Senator Reed, for your incredible partnership and support for Latino communities across Rhode Island, and to the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce for ensuring these businesses have the resources they need to succeed.\u201d\n\nAt the beginning of the tour, Senator Reed joined Mayor Rivera, Oscar Mejias, and members of the community for lunch at La Hacienda Restaurant, a family-owned restaurant dishing out authentic Salvadoran Mexican cuisine. The group then visited a host of local businesses that help the community celebrate together, eat together, and join together.\n\nThe tour included stops at Krystal\u2019s Flower Shop, a small business providing specialty floral arrangements and decorations for celebrations and ceremonies; Esperanza Convenience Store; Tony\u2019s Shoe Service; Rossell\u2019s Beauty Salon, a community institution that has been a fixture on Broad Street for nearly 30 years; and Elsy Nutrition, a family-owned small business promoting the importance of good nutrition.\n\nHispanic or Latino residents now make up 18 percent of Rhode Island's population, up from 12.4 percent in 2010, according to the latest numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau. The Ocean State has long been home to thriving Colombian, Dominican, Guatemalan, Puerto Rican, and Mexican communities among others, each with its own unique traditions and identities within the Hispanic community that all contribute to Rhode Island\u2019s shared culture and heritage.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:57:20Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/to-celebrate-hispanic-heritage-month-reed-leads-tour-of-latino-owned-small-businesses"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9848945774137974, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}