Each month of the year there is a special event to celebrate and bring awareness to, like Native American Heritage Month and Men’s Mental Awareness Month.
This month is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. Hispanic Heritage Month began on September 15th in the United States to acknowledge Hispanic culture, history, and achievements. According to the website, National Museum of the American Latino, it started in 1968 under President Lydon Johnson as a week-long celebration. It was later expanded in 1988 by President Ronald Regan and was then a month-long celebration starting September 15 to October 15. The Hispanic Community celebrates on different days. Guatemala, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Honduras continue to celebrate a month-long celebration from the 15th of September to the 15th of October. Mexico acknowledges those days starting on the 16th of September. And other countries such as Chile and Belize begin their celebration on the 18th and the 21st, respectively.
Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates the Latino and Hispanic community’s culture and impact on the United States. Latino people have been around for centuries backdating to Spain’s colonization—those places are now a part of the United States. They have been an important part of shaping the U.S. we live in today since the Revolutionary War. When the Treaty of Paris and Guadalupe Hidalgo were happening, the Mexican-American and the Spanish-American Wars followed. The United States gained more territory such as the Southwest and Puerto Rico because of these events. It allowed the people of that area to be included in the United States, it helped with expanding the growth of Hispanic Americans.
Hispanic Heritage Month “is a time for people of different cultures to celebrate and bring recognition to Hispanic culture,” said Valeria Ojeda. She stated that she doesn’t celebrate this month, but said that this is how she sees Hispanic Heritage Month.
Many cities throw parties, parades, and festivals in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month.
Hispanic Heritage Month brings more time to recognize what Hispanics/Latinos have done for this country as well as their histories and contributions, especially their cultures.
