License plate to honor Hispanics

TALLAHASSEE, Fla., June 26 (UPI) -- Florida may soon be offering a new specialty license plate to honor Hispanics.

The plate would offer the phrase "Hispanics Discovered Florida" with proceeds being used to support job and mentorship programs. It is a proposal being reviewed by Florida highway

officials with the support of state Sen. Gary Siplin, a Democrat in a district with many Hispanic residents, the Orlando Sentinel reported Thursday.

The original idea came from National Hispanic Corporate Achievers, a Longwood, Fla., group that sponsors minority job fairs.

"Every community wants to be recognized for its contributions to society," group president Danny Ramos said. "I think this is just part of our assimilation process and our acceptance in Florida."

One design concept carries the picture of a Spanish galleon and the date 1513 -- which was the year Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de Leon first landed in what is now Florida.

Racial and ethnic groups are already recognized on some of Florida's current 109 specialty tags. Included is one dedicated to the memory of civil-rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., while others include American Indian tribes.