Honoring Hispanic Heritage Month

Hispanic Heritage Month is an annual month-long celebration honoring the achievements and accomplishments of the Hispanic American community. According to the National Hispanic Heritage Month website, “Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15 by celebrating the histories, cultures, and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.”

Learn more about the origin of Hispanic Heritage Month and how it’s celebrated today!

What is Hispanic Heritage Month?

National Hispanic Heritage Month was initially conceived as a week-long celebration, signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on September 14, 1968. With Proclamation 3869, Johnson gave special recognition to “to the great contribution to our national heritage made by our people of Hispanic descent […] in the fields of culture, business, and science.” However, under President Ronald Reagan in 1988, the event was expanded to last a month. The first Hispanic Heritage Month was officially celebrated in 1989. 

The “contributions” that Johnson spoke about are, of course, vast: the Hispanic population is the largest ethnic minority in the U.S., totaling 60.6 million people in 2019. ‘Hispanic’ is a term used to refer to people who come from – or have ancestry in – Spanish-speaking countries, such as El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras; this is distinct from the ‘Latino/Latina/Latine’ community, whose origins are in Latin America as a whole. Neither term is entirely correct, however, as NPR.org points out, given their overemphasis on the European – and post-colonial – history of these countries.

The significance of Hispanic Heritage Month spanning over two months comes from the independence anniversaries–Latin American countries (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua) on September 15 and Mexico and Chile on September 16 and September 18, respectively– and Dia de la Raza on October 12. 

How do people celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month?

Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated in various ways! Communities around the country have parades, festivals, concerts, and other cultural events to commemorate the occasion. There are also lots of ways to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month online. The Smithsonian Institution has a great website with resources for educators, including games, videos, and articles. PBS has created a series of short videos highlighting different aspects of Hispanic culture in America. You can discover documents, exhibits, articles, and photos relating to Hispanic culture on the official Library of Congress website!

Here are some overall suggestions to acknowledge the month:

• Educate yourself and others about the histories, cultures, and accomplishments of Hispanic Americans.
• Attend a parade, festival, concert, or other cultural event celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month.
• Cook a traditional Hispanic meal with family or friends.
• Share resources about Hispanic heritage with others.
• Celebrate the countries represented during Hispanic Heritage Month by learning more about them.

At Zazzle, we are excited for this month and the opportunity for all of us to learn more about the Hispanic culture and to celebrate the many contributions of fellow Hispanic Americans community members.

This article was comprehensively written by Eoin & Nicole G.

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