From Orlando Sentinel Text size:
Proposed license plate states 'Hispanics discovered Florida'

By Victor Manuel Ramos | Orlando Sentinel Staff Writer
9:06 AM EDT, June 26, 2008

Early concept for Hispanic specialty plate, as proposed by National Hispanic Corporate Achievers. (NATIONAL HISPANIC CORPORATE ACHIEVERS / June 25, 200



Honk if you love Hispanics.

A license plate that touts "Hispanics Discovered Florida" may soon join the 109 specialty tags drivers can choose from.

The idea to celebrate the contributions of Hispanics came from National Hispanic Corporate Achievers, a Longwood group that sponsors minority job fairs. The plate would become a fundraising tool to support job and mentorship programs.

Danny Ramos, the group's president, said the tag's message is about cultural pride for Florida's 3.6 million Hispanics -- even if not all of Latin American or Spanish descent identify with the term.

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Florida specialty license plate coverage
WTF? N.C. plates will no longer carry profane abbreviation Video "Every community wants to be recognized for its contributions to society," Ramos said. "I think this is just part of our assimilation process and our acceptance in Florida."

A preliminary concept for the plate seeks to unify Hispanics by going back to their historical roots -- when Spaniards colonized the peninsula before the arrival of English-speaking settlers.

One concept features the image of a Spanish galleon and the date 1513 -- the year Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de Le�n first landed in what is now Florida.

Some Florida tags already recognize racial and ethnic groups. One is dedicated to the memory of civil-rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. Others include American Indian tribes.

The Hispanic-tag proposal is being reviewed by Florida highway officials. It also has the support of state Sen. Gary Siplin, a Democrat in a district with many Hispanic residents.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/ ... 5729.story