Hispanic Heritage Month puts diversity and culture at the forefront

Major festivities are expected across the U.S. in honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month, an annual tradition that celebrates the impressive diversity and culture of the Hispanic population.

Celebrated annually from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, the month is a chance for many in the U.S. to learn about and celebrate the contributions of Hispanics, the nation’s fastest-growing racial or ethnic minority, according to the Census. The group includes people whose ancestry stems from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.

According to the latest Census estimates, there are more than 65 million people in the United States who are considered ethnically Hispanic.

Before National Hispanic Heritage Month, there was Hispanic Heritage Week, which was created by legislation sponsored by Mexican-American Representative Edward R. Roybal of Los Angeles and signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968.

The week-long commemoration was expanded to a month twenty years later, when President Ronald Reagan signed a bill.

“It was clustered around big celebrations for the community,” said Alberto Lammers, director of communications at the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute. “It became an opportunity for people to learn about Hispanic cultures, for Latinos to learn about a community, and for the American public to understand a little bit better the long history of Latinos in the U.S.”

The month is a way for Latinos to showcase their diversity and culture with government support, said Rachel Gonzalez-Martin, an associate professor of Mexican American and Latin American studies at the University of Texas at Austin.

September 15 was chosen as the starting point to coincide with the anniversary of “El Grito de Dolores,” or the “Cry of Dolores,” which was spread in 1810 from a town in central Mexico that began that country’s war of independence from Spain.

The Central American countries of Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica celebrate their independence on September 15, and Mexico celebrates its national day on September 16, the day after the call for independence.

Also during the National Month of Spanish Heritage, the South American country of Chile celebrates its Independence Day on September 18. Indigenous Peoples Dayformerly known as Columbus Day, is celebrated in the US on the second Monday of October.

Over the past decade, the month has grown because of the larger Latino consumer base in the U.S., Gonzalez-Martin said. Gonzalez-Martin said visible support from the federal government, including celebrations at the White House, has also made it easier for Hispanics to celebrate.

“Hispanic Heritage Month was a way to be Hispanic and Latino, but with an official blessing,” Gonzalez-Martin said. “It was an acknowledgement of belonging, and that became really powerful.”

During this four-week period, attention will be paid to how the Hispanic population has shaped the United States in the past and present, Lammers said.

“It gives us a chance to acknowledge how Latinos have been a part of this nation for centuries,” Lammers said. “I think that’s the great thing. It’s given us a chance to really dig deeper and tell our stories.”

Hispanic was a term coined by the federal government for people descended from Spanish-speaking cultures. But for some, the label carries connotations of political conservatism and emphasizes a connection to Spain. It is sometimes mistakenly used interchangeably with “Latino” or “Latinx.”

For some, Latino reflects their ties to Latin America, which is why some celebrations are called Latinx or Latin Heritage Month.

Latin Americans are not a monolith. There are a variety of identifications for Latin Americans, largely dependent on personal preference. Mexican Americans who grew up during the civil rights movement of the 1960s might identify as Chicano. Others might go by their family’s country of origin, such as Colombian American or Salvadoran American.

Every culture has unique differences when it comes to music, food, art and other cultural traits.

From California to Florida, there will be no shortage of festivities. The festivities honor traditional Latin foods and entertainment, including mariachi bands, folklórico and salsa lessons. The goal is to showcase the culture of Mexico, Puerto Rico, Venezuela and other Latin countries.

Events highlighting Hispanic culture include a quinceañera fashion show in Dallas on September 14, the New York Latino Film Festival, running September 17-22, and the Viva Tampa Bay Hispanic Heritage Festival on September 28-29.

The Smithsonian in Washington, DC, offers a list of activities highlighting Spanish heritage, including a celebration of the life of Celia Cruz and exhibitions of art made in Mexico.

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Associated Press editor Terry Tang contributed to this report.