September 15 to October 15 is National Hispanic American Heritage Month
Each year, 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.
The observation started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period starting on September 15 and ending on October 15. It was enacted into law on August 17, 1988, on the approval of Public Law 100-402.
The day of September 15 is significant because it is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September18, respectively. Also, Columbus Day or Día de la Raza, which is October 12, falls within this 30 day period.
Visit the official website of National Hispanic American Heritage Month to learn more.
From The National Archives:
We celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 to October 15) to recognize the achievements and contributions of Hispanic American champions who have inspired others to achieve success. The observation began in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period. It was enacted into law on August 17, 1988.
View related records on the Hispanic/Latino Heritage resource page and in the Archives Catalog. Topics include:
Entertainment | Sports | Arts & Culture | Puerto Rico | Prominent Hispanic Americans | Hispanic and Latino issues in the United States
Hispanic - Hispanic refers to language. Hispanic if you and/or your ancestry come from a country where they speak Spanish. 1
Latino/a - Latino refers to geography. Specifically, to Latin America, to people from the Caribbean (Puerto Rico, Cuba, Dominican Republic), South America (Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia, Peru, etc.) and Central America (Honduras, Costa Rica, etc.) 1
Latinx - Of, relating to, or marked by Latin American Heritage - used as a gender-neutral alternative to Latino or Latina. 2
Latin@ - Gender-neutral shorthand for Latino/Latina. 3
Chicano/a - An American of Mexican descent. 2
- by Luis Noe-Bustamante, Lauren Mora and Mark Hugo LopezUse of the term Latinex From Pew Research Center - August 11, 2020
1. https://www.diffen.com/difference/Hispanic_vs_Latino
2. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Latinx
3. https://www.noodle.com/articles/latin-what-it-means-and-how-to-say-it