Hispanic Heritage Month: Home

Each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15, by celebrating the histories, cultures, and contributions of those whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.

The observation started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period starting on September 15 and ending on October 15. It was enacted into law on August 17, 1988.

The day of September 15 is significant because it is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September 18, respectively. 

Lastly, through a 2014 Presidential Proclamation under President Barack Obama, National Hispanic Serving Institutions Week is September 14-20. Within the 30-day period of Hispanic Heritage Month, Día de la Raza is observed on October 12. 

- Library of Congress

The Grace Hauenstein Library has listed here a variety of books and DVDs that celebrate the diversity and rich cultural heritage of the Hispanic people.

We have many more materials available than we can list here and encourage you to explore our collection to find even more items that illuminate the culture, traditions, and contributions of Hispanic people.

• Hispanic - Hispanic refers to language. Hispanic if you and/or your ancestry come from a country where they speak Spanish. 1
• Latino/a - Latino refers to geography. Specifically, to Latin America, to people from the Caribbean (Puerto Rico, Cuba, Dominican Republic), South America (Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia, Peru, etc.) and Central America (Honduras, Costa Rica, etc.) 1
• Latinx - Of, relating to, or marked by Latin American Heritage - used as a gender-neutral alternative to Latino or Latina. 2 
• Latin@ - Gender-neutral shorthand for Latino/Latina. 3
• Chicano/a - An American of Mexican descent. 2

About One-in-Four U.S. Hispanics Have Heard of Latinx, but Just 3% Use It - Young Hispanic women among the most likely to use the term PDF 

- by Luis Noe-Bustamante, Lauren Mora and Mark Hugo LopezUse of the term Latinex From Pew Research Center -  August 11, 2020

1. https://www.diffen.com/difference/Hispanic_vs_Latino 
2. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Latinx 
3. https://www.noodle.com/articles/latin-what-it-means-and-how-to-say-it

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