KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — On Sept. 15, 2022, Centro Hispano of East Tennessee honored local changemakers across East Tennessee and the positive influence they have on serving and sharing Hispanic and Latinx culture in their communities.
Each year, Centro Hispano's Latino Awards recognize individuals and groups in three categories: the Corazón Award, the Latinidad Award and the Comunidad Award.
The Corazón Award honors restaurants and food trucks that offer food and service that speaks to the heart of Hispanic and Latino culture.
- La Fiesta restaurant won this year's Corazón Award.
The Latinidad Award honors an individual who acted as a catalyst for meaningful change in the Latino community.
- Fernando Pita, a real estate agent with the Cook Team at Keller Williams Signature, was a nominee for his support of Latinx entrepreneurs and his involvement in the Grandes Sueños en Pequeñas Empresas program.
- Azaide Labrador-Jimenez, the centralized interpretation department director for Cherokee Health Systems, won the Latinidad Award for her work as the system's first Certified Medical Interpreter and her mission to offer equitable, qualified language access to all of Cherokee's non-English speaking patients.
The Comunidad Award goes to an organization in the Knoxville area that goes above and beyond to further opportunities for Latinos and Latinas in the community.
- Second Harvest won for its work to serve Spanish-speaking communities during the pandemic and provide culturally appropriate foods
- Maryville College was a nominee for its work as one of East Tennessee's first universities to help DACA recipients and other undocumented students move forward in higher education.
- The Knoxville Utilities Board (KUB) was a nominee for its efforts to change policies to eliminate common barriers facing Latinx families.