Hispanic Heritage
Hispanic Heritage Month honors the culture, heritage, and contributions of Hispanic Americans in the United States. The event began in 1968 when Congress deemed the week including September 15 and 16 National Hispanic Heritage Week to celebrate the contributions and achievements of the diverse cultures within the Hispanic community. The dates were chosen to commemorate two key historic events: Independence Day, honoring the formal signing of the Act of Independence for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua (September 15, 1821), and Mexico’s Independence Day, which denotes the beginning of the struggle against Spanish control (September 16, 1810). In 1988, the National Hispanic Heritage Week was expanded to a month-long period from September 15 through October 15. The National Hispanic Heritage Month now includes El Dia de la Raza on October 12, which celebrates the influences of the people who came after Christopher Columbus and the multicultural, multiethnic society that evolved as a result; Chile’s Independence Day on September 18; and Belize’s Independence Day on September 21.
