José Andrés became the first chef in the history of the Hispanic Heritage Awards to be recognized for his outstanding achievements and leadership in promoting Latino heritage. The White House established these awards in 1987 to celebrate the creation of Hispanic Heritage Month in America. Since the inception of the awards, the accolades have been considered the highest honor for Latinos by Latinos.
At the awards ceremony on September 5th, José Andrés received the Design Award, which is defined as a distinguished honor presented, in exceptional cases, where an individual genuinely promotes and fosters Hispanic culture beyond his parameters through art and design.
“When we think of fine cuisine, elegance and sublime flavors come to mind. We never think of design,” said Cuban-American actor Yul Vazquez, who presented José with the award. “Well, that’s not the case with José Andrés. He’s taken the labor of a chef to a new level. In the process, he created a new style of cooking and a new way to help the world.”
In accepting the award, Andrés said: “It is a true honor for me to receive this award that recognizes the hard work of all immigrants, who are presenting and promoting our heritage outside our countries. I am humbled and very excited to learn this is the first time a chef receives such an award and to know that we are doing great things to nurture our culture and traditions through our gastronomy.”
Among the honorees of the 26th Annual Hispanic Heritage Awards were Actress Eva Longoria, Actor Diego Luna, Race Car Driver Juan Pablo Montoya, Voto Latino President Maria Teresa Kumar, Musical Group Los Tigres del Norte, Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, and Mexican Actress Lucero.
The Hispanic Heritage Awards will be broadcast on Mundo FOX on Sunday, September 15.
