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National Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated from September 15 to October 15. Not only are celebratory months like this and Black History Month important, they are vital to address the huge swaths of missing history in the whitewashed and sanitized history taught to our kids. In order to combat the collective and willful amnesia of our nation, specially set aside months are useful as a starting point to teach the histories and contributions of non-white Americans.
All too often, Americans are erroneously conflated with white people. Though understandable considering that white folks make up 76% of the total U.S. population, they are not the only people in the U.S. Nor are they the only people to contribute to American history and heritage.
“Generations of American children have been taught about the great influence of British pilgrims to North America, but not about how important indigenous and Hispanic people have been in shaping our collective culture and identity,” High school history teacher Kate E. Vaughn told Mom.com. Vaughn added that we needed dedicated events like Hispanic Heritage Month to help recognize that oversight and correct it for future generations.
What is National Hispanic Heritage Month?
We celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month to commemorate and highlight the history, culture, and contributions of the Latinx (people from or descended from a Latin American country) and Hispanic (people from or descended from a Spanish-speaking country) communities in America in the past and present.
Originally started as Hispanic Heritage Week in 1968, it was expanded into a full month in 1988. You may be wondering why the starting date is September 15 instead of the beginning of September. That’s because September 15 is the anniversary of independence for five Hispanic countries who all declared independence from Spain in 1821 (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua). Plus, Mexico, Chile, and Belize declared their independence on September 16, 18, and 21.
What is the purpose of Hispanic Heritage Month
As of the 2019 Census, Latinx and Hispanic people makeup 18.5% (more than 60.6 million) of the U.S. population and Latinx folks have contributed — and continue to do so — to U.S. development and growth. Their influence on American culture is obvious and prevalent in sciences, art, economics, and politics — as well as in our music, food, and dance.
“I wish we didn’t need Hispanic Heritage Month to celebrate the contributions Latinos have made to our country,” award-winning journalist Jeannette Kaplun told Mom.com. “As a Latina mom, it’s given me the opportunity to remind my children to be proud of their heritage, of their bilingualism and of the diversity among Hispanic communities.”
“It’s important to me for everyone to learn about the Hispanic Culture,” Christine Suarez told Mom.com. The homeschooling mother of two explained that it was important to her for people to learn about all cultures. “Since I am Hispanic it means more to me and I like educating my children on their culture as well as the innovations and history that have come from Hispanic people,” she said.
How to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month
Though the U.S. is opening up, please be aware that the pandemic is still here (especially the Delta variant) and proper social distancing and safety measures may result in celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month a bit differently in 2021. As can be expected, there may be many sponsored events and community festivals, but some may limit their capacity or hold some of the festivities in online spaces. Please check with your local city and community organizations for event and safety guidelines.
Teach our children Hispanic/Latinx history
One of the best ways we can celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month is to teach our children (and ourselves) that Hispanic history is American history — and that Hispanic and Latinx folks have shaped the very foundations of our society. From the first Spanish colonisers to civil rights activist and union leader Cesar Chavez, they influenced everything from exploring and colonizing states like Florida and or New Mexico to championing the labor movement in America.
Enjoy Hispanic culture and arts
You can also try some of the following cultural activities to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and appreciate Hispanic culture:
- Support a Hispanic/Latinx owned business
- Listen to popular Latinx artists like Bad Bunny, Jennifer Lopez, J. Balvin, and Camila Cabello
- Watch Hispanic American made movies and shows
- Try traditional Latin American foods
- Learn traditional Latin American dances
- Play traditional games like lotería or dominoes
Acknowledge anti-Hispanic racism
In addition, it doesn’t serve anyone to gloss over the long history of anti-Hispanic violence in America like the January 1918 Porvenir Massacre of 15 unarmed Mexican American boys and men by Texas Rangers or the number of Latinx folks killed by police every year. There is so much targeting and scapegoating of Latinx immigrants and refugees that the narrative is harmful as well as inaccurate. Actively fight these racist narratives by providing examples — whether in media or accurate historical accounts — of the wide range of Latinx people.
