The Eagles are recognizing Latino Heritage Month at Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Rams. Philadelphia will have multiple people who identify as Latino as part of the gameday and pregame production.
Here's a look at some of the involvement!
Caitlyn will be cheering with extra pride on Sunday
When Eagles Cheerleader Caitlyn takes to the sideline for Week 3 against the Los Angeles Rams, it will be extra special for her.
Caitlyn, a proud Ecuadorian whose parents and grandparents were born in Ecuador, is excited to exhibit her culture as a member of the Eagles.
"I just think it's a great way to show that representation matters," Caitlyn said. "I know that everyone has their own different communities and different cultures. I appreciate the Eagles showcasing Latinos and all that they have done for this country."
Caitlyn, who is in her second season with the Eagles, didn't spend much of her childhood visiting Ecuador, but a trip she took to the Galapagos Islands helped her become more connected.
She took the vacation with her family about 10 years ago and stayed with her extended family. Caitlyn got a firsthand look of their day-to-day lifestyles, and it presented a unique opportunity to dive "deeper into our culture."
While she hasn't been to Ecuador much, the country's influence has always been around Caityln. Through spending time with her immediate family to enjoying mainstays like her grandma and great grandmas' legendary beef and cheese empanadas, she has always felt a strong connection to Ecuador.
Through that, it has shaped her into the person she is now, with ideals that match her culture.
"I would say it taught me the values that I carry just from a day-to-day basis, honestly, and the importance of family," Caitlyn said of her heritage. "It taught me the importance of family. We're very big on family, whether that means family meals on the weekends or vacations, the importance of community of well. It has instilled in me the values of being hard-working and always going for what you believe in."
Caitlyn takes solace in cheering on the Eagles every gameday at Lincoln Financial Field, but she knows the Rams game will add another layer. This time, she'll get to represent the Birds and her culture on the sideline, and she knows it will mean a little more to her when she takes the field.
"It's just a sense of pride that I have knowing that I will be on the field cheering on the best team in the NFL, but also celebrating Latino Heritage Month," Caitlyn said. "I know that my family will also share in that pride. I'm very happy that the Eagles and the NFL support Latino Heritage Month."
A New-Look Painting
Inside the Pepsi Plaza at Lincoln Financial Field, Jose Bustamante's painting on the Wing Wall will debut before the game. Bustamente painted a comic-like mural, which took him around 20 hours to complete, telling the story of how the Eagles became Super Bowl Champions last season.
At the bottom of the painting, there is a logo that says, "Latino Heritage Month," as Bustamante, who is from Columbia, helps the Eagles celebrate on Sunday.
"It's awesome. It's an amazing opportunity to be part of the Philadelphia culture, the Eagles," Bustamante said. "I've had a chance to paint for the Phillies before, I did another project with the Eagles a couple of years ago, too. So, it's always very proud for me as an artist to be able to work with clients like that and to be able to put something [up] that many, many people can relate to."
Bustamante came to Philadelphia around 11 years ago to learn graffiti history and muralism. He left his entire family in Columbia, and he is excited to recognize the influence of his culture — and many others — in the United States.
"I feel like it's awesome that that's happening," Bustamante said. "It's controversial to say this, but we're all Americans at the end of the day, you know, like South American and Central American and North American. Back in the day, it was all connected, so we share a lot of similar cultures. There is a heritage behind all these that has been in there since the beginning. So, I feel like it's about time to bring that up and celebrate all our cultures in this continent."
More Marvel-ous Gameday Art
Mike Hawthorne, who is Puerto Rican American, created the Eagles' Gameday Poster, presented by Toyota, for Week 3. Hawthorne made the poster comic-themed, which is his expertise as he published his first book in 1999 and has done work in books such as Batman, Spider-Man, Deadpool, and more.
Growing up seeing the challenges his mother faced with xenophobia and racism coming to the United States, Hawthorne feels prideful that Latino Heritage Month is being recognized.
"It's always an honor to have done something with the Eagles but doing it during this particular celebration is extra cool for me and for my kids, too," Hawthorne said. "The fan base for Philly in general is very multicultural, and I think it means a lot when that's acknowledged. It's a huge honor for me, especially right now."
In 2020, Hawthorne published a book titled "Happiness Will Follow," which touches on the struggles he and his mother faced being Puerto Rican in New York City. Hawthorne said the book is more about his mother than himself, but he got a firsthand encounter of what she faced when he was growing up.
"I realized that most of us that live in America have some version of a story like this, whether you're from Ireland or Eastern Europe or wherever," Hawthorne said. "Everybody has a story where somebody came here and had a hard time. ... I think everybody realizes that if we're honest that all of us have struggled a little bit or somebody in our past has struggled to get a foothold in this country. I think for me, that was the real driving force for getting through that story, which was very difficult to share, but important."
This week's poster is Hawthorne's second he has done with the Eagles, his first coming during the Panthers game last season. He said he spent about a week working on this one, and it took him roughly six to eight hours a day.
Hawthorne now resides in Central Pennsylvania and follows the Eagles closely. He's planning on signing the poster for fans ahead of the game, and he's looking forward to doing that on a special day for his culture.
"To me, it means getting to still have a foothold in where my mother was from and now where I'm from and appreciate them both and be proud of them both," Hawthorne said of his heritage.
Brazilian Halftime Performance
At halftime of Sunday's game, Batala Philly, a band that plays Brazilian music, will perform on the field. The all-percussion community band plays Samba Reggae music from Salvador, Bahia, Brazil and is a part of the Batala family, which is a music project that features 42 bands across 15 countries.
Deise Rodrigues, who grew up in Brazil before moving to the United States about 11 years ago, is a member of Batala Philly and sees firsthand how the band helps represent her culture.
"Being able to play here in Philadelphia, Brazilian music and share this culture, share this tradition with Philadelphians and residents here, is a way to celebrate our heritage," Rodrigues said. "Music and also dance is [big] in Brazil culture, so I think it's a great way to represent it beyond stereotypes."
Rodrigues said Batala Philly does a lot of different events around the city, but Sunday's Eagles game will be their biggest sporting event yet. And they are proud for it to come when the Birds are celebrating Latino Heritage Month.
"We have people from Philadelphia originally in our band. They are crazy for the Eagles," Rodrigues said. "We know what the Eagles mean for the city and especially lately because of the Super Bowl. [For the] Eagles to share this space with our band, especially in this month to recognize Brazil and share this space with a band that has Philadelphia Eagles fans, it means a lot. It's an honor for us and it's a great way to celebrate."
