Huge celebrations across the US are expected to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month, an annual tradition that showcases the amazing diversity and culture of the Hispanic people.
Celebrated annually from September 15 to October 15, the month is an opportunity for many in the US 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 is from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.
There are more than 65 million people who identify as Hispanic in the US, according to the latest census estimates.
Before there was National Hispanic Heritage Month, there was Hispanic Heritage Week, which was created through legislation sponsored by Mexican American US Representative Edward R. Roybal of Los Angeles and signed into law in 1968 by President Lyndon B. Johnson.
The weekly commemoration was extended to a month two decades later, with legislation signed into law by President Ronald Reagan.
“It’s brought together in a big celebration for the community,” said Alberto Lammers, director of communications at the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute. “This is an opportunity for people to understand Hispanic culture, for Latinos to better understand their community and for the American public to better understand the long history of Latinos in the US”
The month is a way for Hispanics to showcase their diversity and culture with government support, said Rachel Gonzalez-Martin, associate professor of Mexican American and Latino 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 “Cry of Dolores,” issued in 1810 from a city in central Mexico that launched the 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 marks its national day on September 16, the day after mourning for independence.
Also in National Hispanic Heritage Month, the South American nation of Chile celebrates its independence day on September 18. Indigenous Peoples Day, formerly known as Columbus Day, is observed in the US on the second Monday in 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 support from the federal government, including celebrations at the White House, has also made it easier for Hispanics to celebrate.
“Hispanic Heritage Month is a way to be Hispanic and Latino but with an official blessing,” Gonzalez-Martin said. “It’s a recognition of ownership and it’s so powerful.”
The four-week period is about honoring the way the Hispanic population shaped the U.S. in the past and present, Lammers said.
“It gives us the chance to recognize how Latin people have been part of this nation for many centuries,” Lammers said. “I think that’s the best thing about it. It allows us to dig deeper and gives us a chance to tell the story.
Hispanic is a term coined by the federal government for people from a Spanish-speaking culture. But for some, the label has connotations of political conservatism and emphasizes a connection to Spain. Sometimes mistakenly replaced with “Latin” or “Latinx.”
For some, Latino represents their connection to Latin America. So some of these celebrations are called Latinx or Latin Heritage Month.
Latin America is not a monolith. There are several identifiers for Latin Americans, depending on personal preference. Mexican Americans who grew up during the Civil Rights era of the 1960s might be called Chicano. Others may be in the family’s country of origin such as Colombian Americans or Salvadoran Americans.
Every culture is unique when it comes to music, food, art and other cultural touchstones.
From California to Florida, there will be no shortage of celebrations. The celebration features traditional Latin food 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 that highlight Hispanic culture include the quinceañera fashion show in Dallas on September 14, the New York Latino Film Festival, which runs from September 17-22, and the Viva Tampa Bay Hispanic Heritage Festival on September 28-29. September.
The Smithsonian in Washington, DC, offers a variety of activities that promote Hispanic heritage, including a celebration of the life of Celia Cruz and an exhibit of art made in Mexico.
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Associated Press writer Terry Tang contributed to this report.
