How to Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

Introduction: Every year the U.S. celebrates Hispanic Heritage month from September 15 to October 15. Like many people (including Hispanics like me) we may be a bit confused about what the month is about, how it started, and how to celebrate it. We put together some facts, questions, and activities so you can teach, educate, and celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with your family.

16 Amazing Facts about Hispanic Heritage Month in the U.S.:

1. What is Hispanic Heritage Month? In 1968, the US designated the week of September 15 as a time to honor the contributions to the country of people originating from Spain, South America, Central America, and the Caribbean.

2. When is Hispanic Heritage Month? Every year Hispanic Heritage month is celebrated from September 15 to October 15.

3. Why does Hispanic Heritage Month start on September 15? Originally, Hispanic Heritage was only celebrated for 1 week, starting on Sept 15 as the shared independence day of five Central American neighbors Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September18, respectively. Later in 1988, Congress passed public law 100-402 expanding Hispanic Heritage week into a full month ended October 15.

4. When was Hispanic Heritage Month started? On June 11, 1968, California Congressman George E. Brown, together with 19 cosponsors, introduced House Joint Resolution 1299, authorizing the President to proclaim annually the week including September 15 and 16 as “National Hispanic Heritage Week.” Congressman Brown’s district included a large portion of East Los Angeles and other parts of Los Angeles with heavy concentrations of Hispanic or Latino residents. He was joined in the sponsorship by two Hispanic Congressmen, Edward R. Roybal (Democrat–California) and Henry B. Gonzales (Democrat–Texas). Twenty years later, in 1988, S. 2200 was introduced by Senator Paul Simon (Democrat–Illinois) to extend the week-long celebration into a month-long celebration, which was signed into law in 1988 by President Ronald Reagan.

5. Why do we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month? Lyndon B Johnson, signed Hispanic Heritage celebrations into law in 1968 with proclamation 3869, “It is with special pride that I call the attention of my fellow citizens to the great contribution to our national heritage made by our people of Hispanic descent—not only in the fields of culture, business, and science, but also through their valor in battle.” This time was meant to honor the history and contributions of Hispanic culture to the formation and success of the United States.

6. What does Hispanic mean? The definition of Hispanic was first coined by the US Federal government in 1975 and later used on Census forms in 1980. The government today defines Hispanic as anyone of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin regardless of race. "Hispanic" is a derivation from "Hispana," the Spanish-language term for the cultural diaspora created by Spain. That diaspora is the result of a violent and oppressive rule by Europeans. Many “Hispanics” as a result, prefer the term "Latino or Latina” as more inclusive and sheds the association to white oppressors. Later, some folks in the media began using the term LatinX as a way to be inclusive of gender differences, but this term has been hotly contested as yet another term imposed on the community by outsiders.

7. Is Hispanic a race or a culture? Hispanic is not a race, but a collection of culture, traditions, and a shared history. People of Hispanic heritage are racially diverse with origins from Europe (mainly Spanish and Portuguese), native indigenous groups, and Africans enslaved by Europeans to work in mines and agriculture.

8. What countries celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month? Hispanic Heritage month is only celebrated in the U.S. There are 21 Spanish speaking countries including: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Spain, Uruguay, and Venezuela. Expanding the definition to Latin American countries that don’t speak Spanish, results in a total of 31-33 countries depending on who you ask, adding Brazil, and the Caribbean with countries speaking Portuguese, French, and Dutch.

   

9. When did Hispanics first arrive in the US? Hispanics have been on what is now US soil, since before the US was a country. As late as 1821, Spain controlled over half of the north American territory including, Alabama, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington and even Alaska. Over time, Spain ceded territory to the US and Mexico who eventually ceded it to the United States.

10. How many Hispanics live in the US? 62 Million Hispanics live in the US , making up 19% of the US population. The second largest group behind white or Caucasians. The Hispanic population grew by 23% from 2010-2020 according to the US Census.

    

11. Which states have the largest Hispanic populations? The three states with the largest Hispanic populations are: California, Texas, and Florida. These 3 states represent over 50% of the total Hispanic population in the US. New Mexico has the highest % of Hispanics per capita with over 50% of residents being of Hispanic descent. For more information see the Census Bureau’s Hispanic Fact Sheet.

    
    Source: Census Hispanic Population by State

12. What religion are most Hispanics? Religious affiliation among Latinos varies by immigrant generation. Among foreign-born Latino immigrants, nearly seven-in-ten (69%) identify as Catholic. However, the share who identify as Catholic falls to 59% among the second generation, and 40% among the third generation.

13. Are Hispanics wealthy? Latino Americans make just 73 cents for every dollar earned by White Americans. The median wealth of Latino households in 2019 was about $36,000, just one-fifth of the median $188,200 held by their White peers. On the positive side, Latinos start more businesses per capita than any other racial or ethnic group in the United States. Additionally, Latinos represent 12% of the US economy, accounting for $900B in consumer spend per year. The root cause of this disparity is 1. First generation immigrants are not able to secure high paying jobs as a result of language and immigration status, and 2. Ongoing generational discrimination as a result of systemic racism.

14. Do all Hispanics speak Spanish? Nope. It is estimated that 70% of Hispanics speak Spanish at home, or 40M people. Although this is a huge number, the number of Spanish speakers is declining as 3rd and 4th generations are born without a direct link to their immigrant ancestors. It is estimated that 60% of Hispanics speak English fluently.

15. Are all Hispanics Mexican? No, roughly 60% of Hispanics come from Mexican descent or 37M people. The remaining 40% of Hispanics come from Puerto Rico, Cuba, El Salvador, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Colombia, Honduras, or any of the other 21+ Spanish speaking countries in the world.

    

16. Do all Hispanics eat tacos? Lol, no. Americans eat approximately 4.5B tacos every year or 13 tacos per person. This means pretty much everyone in the U.S. loves tacos, not just Hispanics. Also, since only 60% of hispanics are from Mexican descent, it stands that 24M Hispanics were likely introduced to tacos through U.S. culture (see Taco Bell) and not their ancestral country of origin.

5 Hispanic Heritage Month Discussion Questions for Kids:

1. What have you learned about Hispanic culture? What other questions do you have?
2. Roughly how many Hispanics are there in the US? (see #10 above)
3. What language do Hispanics speak? (see #14 above)
4. What countries are Hispanics from? (see #8 above)
5. What states have the largest number of Hispanics? (See #11 above)

10 ways to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with your Family

1. Read, share, and discuss Lalo’s 13 amazing facts about Hispanics.
2. Go to your public library and see what books you can find about Hispanic or Latino culture.
3. Go to a latin-owned restaurant near you, and no Taco Bell doesn’t count.
4. Ask your kid’s teachers how they are teaching students about Hispanic culture and how you can participate at home.
5. Buy from Latino owned shops, brands, and apps like Lalo :)
6. Check out these 15 Hispanic Heritage Month activities from Oprah.
7. Learn about 15 Influential Hispanics from Biography.com.
8. Read a book from Amazon’s top 100 books from Hispanic American Literature .
9. Watch one of these 43 Hispanic movie recommendations from Rotten Tomatoes.
10. Listen to one of the top 50 most influential Latin songs of all time or crank up this Hispanic Heritage Month Playlist on Spotify.

Additional online resources for learning about Hispanic culture

1. All things about Hispanic Heritage Month
2. Census facts about Hispanics
3. Pew Research on Hispanics in the U.S.
4. Listen to public radio covering Latino news
5. McKinsey’s report on Latino’s and the U.S. economy
6. Reach out to ThinkNow to demystify Latino consumers