The Hispanic community is a fundamental part of the history of the United States. For this reason, it is important to hold this event that seeks to highlight the cultural contributions, language, and workforce that it has represented in both the past and the present in American society.
The influence of Hispanic culture is reflected in every element of life in the United States, it’s more than speaking Spanish. From politics, education, economics to music, television, sports, and gastronomy, just to name a few, increasingly demonstrate the recognition of Hispanics in the U.S.
There are currently 62.1 million Hispanics in the United States, representing 19.5% of the total population in the country, with a percentage growth of 23% in the last decade according to data from the US Census conducted in 2020. In Alaska, of the 710,000 inhabitants, 7.5% identify as Hispanic.
History of Hispanic Heritage Month Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated from September 15 to October 15, for a total of 30 days, and it coincides with the anniversaries of the national independence of several Latin American countries including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua who recognize September 15 as the date of their independence. In Mexico, Independence Day is celebrated on September 16, and in Chile on September 18. In addition, October 12 celebrates Indigenous Peoples’ Day. This celebration has its origin in 1968, when the event lasted only one week. It began when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed a law designating the week of Sept. 15 as “National Hispanic Heritage Week,” according to the Office of the Historian, and the U.S. House of Representatives: Office of Art and Archives. Twenty years after Johnson’s proclamation, President Ronald Reagan extended recognition to the Hispanic community to one month with the signing of Act 100-402.
There are many ways to celebrate Over time, this month has been conducive to exhibitions in different cultural spaces, music festivals, mariachi concerts, a variety of films and films produced or where Latinos perform have also been premiered; the trajectory of Hispanic personalities has also been recognized, exhibition of handicrafts, typical dishes, family reunions and more in order to highlight the Latino identity.
We can recognize and be proud of our heritage at all times of the year, with the human warmth that characterizes Hispanics around the world, so let’s not celebrate our Hispanic heritage for only a month, let’s celebrate it every day!
