Hispanic Heritage Month was first made a holiday in 1968, during President Johnson’s term. Hispanic Heritage Month is a month-long celebration that typically lasts from September 15 to October 15. The celebration was expanded to a month, rather than a week, in 1988. Through these celebrations, we can aim to inspire Hispanic or Latino children while also bringing communities together. Hispanic Heritage Month is rooted in Spain along with nineteen other countries and territories. On September 15, five Latin American countries celebrated their freedom from Spain and gained independence in America. Those five countries include Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.
Something that people commonly mix up, which ends up upsetting many, is not understanding the difference between the Hispanic and Latino culture. Hispanic and Latino are both terms that are often used to describe citizens of the United States with ancestors or a cultural background that relates to the Caribbean or Latin American. The term Latino might also include ancestors of Indigenous and other heritages with European descent. Whereas the term Hispanic is more focused on people from Spain.
This month-long celebration is also an important time frame that we should be aware of. One reason is because most Spanish-speaking cultures start in September but certain places will start one to six days later due to a time difference. Another reason is that Columbus Day falls within this month of this celebration. It is possible that Hispanic and Latino people will celebrate this as a win too, although it appears to be more common for Latino people to reflect, learn, and celebrate this part of history.
This month is a great opportunity for people all around, but especially in the United States, to explore the culture and for others to learn about their ancestors’ path. Currently in the United States, there are over sixty million people with a Latino background, which makes up 18.9 percent of our total population. As for children, every one in four kids in the United States was either Hispanic or Latino in 2020.
Hispanic Heritage Month is an important time period where vibrant art, advocacy work, and popular foods and traditions will be celebrated. People will read books about Hispanic cultures, try new foods in groups, visit a mercado, explore Latin and Spanish music, learn something new about a country, practice Spanish, or invite a guest speaker to a town church.
It’s important for us to realize that Latinas, Latinos, and Hispanic people have an important role in our history, as representation matters. They continuously are a part of our nation, and we should notice and honor their contributions, whether that’s being part of our US Military or being a local business owner. They are our part of our community and should be treated like they belong in it.
We should also acknowledge the part Hispanic and Latino people have played in sports. Baseball being the most noticeable one. In 2023, on opening day, a study showed that 30% of the MLB players were either Hispanic or Latino. Not even just as athletes, but as announcers, broadcasters, team owners, and other sport-related jobs. Latinos and Latinas, and others in the Hispanic background, continue to be strong leaders, especially over the fight for Civil Rights, which was a peak for them.
It’s important to make sure each and every individual can go and see themselves being represented, especially if they are young kids. One common place for this would be school, where, in particular classes, we’re supposed to learn about our history and the amazing people, just like us, that have made history. Recent studies have shown, though, that in school textbooks, all across the United States, a large amount of true Latino History has been left out, discouraging our growing population of Latino/Latina students. It’s important to hear about where they’ve come from, learn about experiences they’ve had, and see them shine through their journey and achievements.
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