Since 2006, the NFL and its member clubs have celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month from Sept. 15 - Oct. 15. The annual game day celebration features Mariachi and Ballet Folklorico groups from the Dallas and San Antonio areas welcoming fans to the stadium with cultural music and dance, a special presentation of the Colors – including flags from Latin American countries – and appearances from Hispanic dignitaries. Latin recording artists Los Lonely Boys, Paula DeAnda, Michael Salgado, Jay Perez and others have also participated in the annual extravaganza with special National Anthem and half-time performances. In 2008, the Dallas Cowboys Hispanic Heritage celebration was highlighted by ESPN as part of the team’s Monday Night Football game against the Philadelphia Eagles. A big part of the celebration included the Cowboys and the NFL hosting the Los Diablitos (the Little Devils) from Mexico City over the weekend to play in local flag football games with area youth teams.
The game day festivities are only one part of the Cowboys month long celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. During Hispanic Heritage Month, the Dallas Cowboys Rookie Club also performs community outreach. In 2007, the group visited the Irving Public Library for a puppet show celebrating the Hispanic culture, hosted a youth fitness clinic with preschoolers at MiEscuelita (2009) and in 2011 hosted a Futbol Americano Youth Clinic at Maple Lawn Elementary in Dallas in an effort to combat childhood obesity in Hispanic children. The club has also uses its yearly Hometown Huddle outreach initiative to impact the Hispanic communities in Dallas, Arlington and Ft. Worth.
The Cowboys long history of supporting the Hispanic culture starts at the very top of the organization. In November 2002, Jerry Jones’s appreciation for the Hispanic culture earned him the title of “Honorary Mariachi” at the Mariachi Vargas Extravaganza that took place in San Antonio, Texas. The event’s organizers selected Jones because of his love of the Latin culture, his contributions to education and the diverse fan base that he represents as the owner of the Cowboys. During the three years prior to Jones’s recognition, the award was presented to someone who had made significant contributions to the mariachi industry – making Jones the first person who was not affiliated with the music industry to receive this unique award.
Hispanic Outreach Programs:
- Hispanic Heritage Month
- Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award
- Miller Lite Scoring for Education
- Telemundo Business Summit
