10 Hispanic Heritage Month Facts That Are Truly Fascinating
From entertainment to food and sports, the Hispanic and Latinx communities have left their impact on U.S. history. While their contributions can be spotted throughout day-to-day life, Hispanic Heritage Month brings these accomplishments to the forefront.
When festivities kick off in the middle of September, folks can honor Hispanic Heritage Month by immersing themselves in books written by Latinx authors, eating delicious Hispanic dishes and shopping from Latinx-owned businesses. But in case you’re looking for more inspiration after learning interesting facts about Hispanic Heritage Month, you can also look to famous faces representing the Spanish-speaking group. Here is what to know about the celebration:
Hispanic Heritage Month is observed from September 15 to October 15 every year in the United States. President George H.W. Bush first declared the 30-day period on September 14, 1989.
Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates “the histories [and] cultures … of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America."
Hispanic Heritage Month originally began as a week of celebration called National Hispanic Heritage Week in 1968, when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the bill into law.
September 15 marks the Independence Day of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Mexico honors its Independence Day on September 16, followed by Chile on September 18 and Belize on September 21.
In total, there are 20 Hispanic countries and one territory: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Spain, Uruguay and Venezuela.
A person who identifies as Hispanic is from or has ancestors from a Spanish-speaking territory or country. The definition of Hispanic includes individuals from the aforementioned countries, plus Spain because Spanish is its official language.
According to Pew Research Center findings in 2022, there are about 62.5 million Hispanics in the U.S., making up 19% of the total population.
Apart from Hispanics celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, the Latin community also has its own festivities. A person who identifies as Latino, Latina and/or Latinx is from Latin America or is of Latin American descent.
While Hispanic and Latinx people may have different histories and cultures, many are united through their shared language of Spanish. According to the Cervantes Institute, there are a total of 595 million Spanish speakers, and of those, there are 496 million native speakers.
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