50 Fascinating Hispanic Heritage Month Facts for This Year’s Celebration

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It’s Hispanic Heritage Month! This annual event is observed between September 15 and October 15. Since 1988, this period honors the contributions and cultures of Latino and Hispanic Americans. If you’re unfamiliar with this event, now is a great time to learn 50 Hispanic Heritage Month facts.

Every year, there’s a new theme, and for 2024, it’s “Pioneers of Change: Shaping the Future Together.” So, what happens during Hispanic Heritage Month? Well, there’s arts and food festivals, courses, workshops, parades, concerts, exhibits and tons more.

This event often partners with organizations, like the National Park Service, to spread the heritage and achievements of Americans whose ancestors came from Central and South America, Spanish-speaking areas of the Caribbean, Spain and Mexico.

According to the U.S. Census, about 65 million Hispanic individuals live in the country as of July 1, 2023, which accounts for roughly 19% of America’s total population. Did you know that there are 13 states that have one million or more residents who are of Hispanic descent? Some of them are New York, Illinois, Colorado, Texas, Georgia and California.

Hispanic Heritage Month is a great time to educate yourself and others, reflect and enjoy the food that’s associated with this culture. It’s also an opportunity to understand how Hispanic and Latino Americans have influenced politics, art, music, sports, food, science, business and many other areas. These 50 fun facts to know about Hispanic Heritage Month include key dates, the significance of historical events, cultural accomplishments and ways in which this event is celebrated.

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50 Hispanic Heritage Month Fun Facts 1. On June 11, 1968, U.S. Congressmen George E. Brown from California, and 19 cosponsors, introduced House Joint Resolution 1299 to observe National Hispanic Heritage Week. He wanted to include the dates September 15 and 16 to celebrate the independence of these 5 Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.

2. Congressman Brown also wanted to establish Hispanic Heritage Week to formally recognize and honor the role of Hispanic people in American history through cultural activities and ceremonies.

3. On September 17, 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed Proclamation 3869, making Hispanic Heritage Week law.

4. U.S. Rep. Esteban E. Torres of Pico Rivera proposed the observance be expanded to cover a 31-day period.

5. President Ronald Reagan expanded the week-long event to 30 days and signed it into law on August 17, 1988.

6. On September 14, 1989, President George H.W. Bush officially declared the period from September 15 to October 15 as National Hispanic Heritage Month. He noted, “Not all of the contributions made by Hispanic Americans to our society are so visible or so widely celebrated, however. Hispanic Americans have enriched our nation beyond measure with the quiet strength of closely knit families and proud communities.”

7. In 2019, Congress passed Public Law 100-402 to ensure that the President of the United States would issue a proclamation every year that September 15 through October 15 was National Hispanic Heritage Month.

8. September 15, the start of Hispanic Heritage Month, is significant because it marks the independence of Guatemala, Costa Rica, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua.

9. September 15 was also chosen because it’s closely linked to Mexican Independence Day, which is on September 16. This day honors the end of the country’s Spanish rule. On September 16, 1810, in Dolores, Mexico, Roman Catholic priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla rang his church bell and delivered a speech, also known as the Independence Cry or “Grito de Dolores” (“Cry of Dolores”) calling for the end of Spanish rule, redistribution of land and racial equality.

10. Mexico and Chile also honor their country’s independence days on September 16 and September 18, respectively.

Related: Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month With a Book! 25 Great Novels, Cookbooks, Memoirs and More by Latinx Authors

11. Belize’s Independence Day is on September 21 and coincides with Hispanic Heritage Month.

12. Day of the Race (Día de la Raza), is commemorated on October 12, which also falls within the 30-day Hispanic Heritage Month period. This holiday honors the cultural blending of indigenous people in Latin America and Spanish heritage, per Britannica. But of course, because that cultural fusion happened as the result of colonization and other horrors, a lot of Latin American countries have renamed this day. Peru calls it Día de los pueblos originarios y el diálogo intercultural (Indigenous Peoples and Intercultural Dialogue Day). And Belize and Uruguay call it Pan American Day or Día de las Américas (Day of the Americas). It's not the same as Indigenous People's Day, which also falls on—and is sometimes celebrated instead of—Columbus Day (Oct. 14, 2024).

13. The annual Hispanic Heritage Month theme is voted upon by the National Council of Hispanic Employment Program Managers.

14. The National Museum of the American Latino has a "Teaching and Learning Resources" page that provides education resources, highlights inspiring Latinas/Latinos and features virtual exhibits as well.

15. Through their many museums, The Smithsonian has a plethora of Latino/Latina/Hispanic educational resources about this month-long event, including programs, immigration stories, podcasts and exhibitions.

16. While the terms may be (incorrectly) used interchangeably, "Hispanic" and "Latino" differ. The word "Hispanic" refers to someone with an ancestry from a predominantly Spanish-speaking country. Whereas, someone who is Latino/Latina/Latinx/Latine has origins in Latin America (Central America and South America) and the Caribbean.

17. In the 1970s, community activists advocated to have the term “Hispanic” in the U.S. Census to reflect the ethnic scope of these individuals. Eventually, the term was coined and included in census surveys.

18. In an effort to encourage specific responses, the U.S. Census Bureau added a write-in box in 1990, and in 2000, the government agency continued to add choices like “Latino” to better reflect the country's races.

19. As of 2024, Spanish is the second most spoken non-English language in the United States. Over 40 million people in the U.S. speak Spanish.

20. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Hispanic population is estimated to reach 111 million by 2060.

21. Non-Spanish-speaking countries like Brazil (who primarily speak Portuguese) are often included in Hispanic Heritage celebrations due to their cultural connection to Latin America.

22. Sonia Sotomayor is the first Hispanic-American to sit on the U.S. Supreme Court.

23. In 1986, Franklin Chang-Díaz was the first Hispanic astronaut aboard Space Shuttle Columbia. He later completed six more space shuttle missions and directed NASA’s Advanced Space Propulsion Laboratory at the Johnson Space Center from 1994 until 2005.

Related: 45 Cesar Chavez Quotes on Life, Education and Community

24. In 1993, the first Hispanic-American woman astronaut was Ellen Ochoa. The Los Angeles, California native went to space on a 9-day mission aboard the space shuttle Discovery. She went on to become the Johnson Space Center’s first Latina director.

25. Puerto Rico native and Major League Baseball star Roberto Clemente was the first Hispanic American starter to win a World Series.

26. In 1822, Delegate Joseph Marion Hernández of the Florida Territory was elected to Congress. He was the first Hispanic American to serve in the U.S. Congress in any capacity.

27. In 1962, civil rights activists Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta co-founded the National Farm Workers Association, which went on to become the United Farm Workers of America. They fought to improve working conditions for farmworkers in the United States.

28. Civil rights activist Sylvia Mendez, who is of Mexican-Puerto Rican heritage, influenced the 1946 Mendez versus Westminster case, the landmark desegregation case of 1946. This California case ended school segregation among Hispanic children.

29. Puerto Rican actress Rita Moreno, best known as Anita in West Side Story, was the first Hispanic American woman to win an Academy Award.

30. Each country and region has its own customs, traditions and food to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, so these groups are not a monolith.

31. Every year on September 11, an independence torch is lit in Central America and is passed by relay runners from Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua until it reaches Cartago, Costa Rica on September 14. The torch symbolizes the messengers who rode on horseback, spreading the news of independence across all five nations.

32. In Costa Rica, September is called Mes de la Patria or “Homeland Month” or "Month of the Homeland." Their Independence Day starts on September 14 with parades and the creation of homemade lanterns. The day ends with the Independence Torch.

33. As a way to commemorate their independence, all state schools in Nicaragua read the Central American Independence Act aloud.

34. Sylvia Rivera, a Puerto Rican-Venezuelan activist, was an important voice for gay and transgender rights in the 1960s and 70s.

35. In 1989, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen was the the first Latina elected to the United States Congress.

36. Last year, the theme for 2023's Hispanic Heritage Month was: "Latinos: Driving Prosperity, Power and Progress in America."

37. Roughly between 400,000 and 500,000 Hispanic Americans fought in World War ll.

38. Among the many festivities during Hispanic Heritage Month, Havana NRG performs around the country. This group is one of the largest Latin orchestras in the world.

39. Many U.S. schools and universities incorporate Hispanic Heritage Month into their curriculums to educate students about the history and contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans.

40. Food is a large part of this month-long celebration (and year round!). Some of the most common Latino/Hispanic dishes include empanadas, arroz con pollo, tostones, pozole, pupusas and arepas.

41. Dance styles like tango, salsa and merengue originated in Latin America before migrating to the United States.

42. During Hispanic Heritage Month, the Library of Congress offers lectures and events highlighting Hispanic literature, music and culture.

43. As the largest library in the world, the Library of Congress opened the Hispanic Reading Room in 1939 to assist researchers viewing various Hispanic materials. The room was named after the Hispanic Society in New York. The reading room offers services in English, Spanish and Portuguese.

44. Every year, New York City hosts the Hispanic Day Parade, which is one of the largest parades that celebrates the music and traditions of 21 Spanish-speaking countries.

45. According to a 2021 Pew Research Center report, the largest Hispanic groups in the United States are Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Salvadorans, Dominicans and Cubans.

46. Latino-owned businesses are the fastest growing sector of the U.S. business economy. Of the new businesses launched in 2023, this sector's businesses accounted for 36%, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.

47. The National Hispanic Institute is an international nonprofit organization formed to create leadership programs for high-achieving Hispanic students, ages 14 to 17 years old. The organization hosts programs for students across the United States, the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Panama.

48. UnidosUS, The Committee for Hispanic Children and Families, the Hispanic Federation, the National Hispanic Media Coalition, the League of United Latin American Citizens and the National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures are just a few of the organizations that support and honor Hispanic communities in various capacities.

49. Telemundo and Univision are two of the largest Spanish-language content networks in the U.S., providing news, entertainment and cultural programming.

50. The NFL and its teams celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month by hosting special events and recognizing Hispanic and Latinx coaches, players and fans.

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