It’s Sept. 15 and that means Hispanic Heritage Month is upon us.
Here at News 6, we applaud the achievements and contributions of Hispanic Americans in and around our community by highlighting their successes.
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Over 30% of Central Florida’s population identifies as Hispanic or Latino.
Every Sept. 15th, we mark the start of National Hispanic Heritage Month in the U.S., a monthlong event which recognizes and celebrates Hispanic culture and traditions.
Americans observe the month from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 in celebrating of the Hispanic cultures from around the world and that now make up a significant part of the U.S. The nation’s 60.6 million Hispanics represent 18.5% of the total population, according to 2019 U.S. Census figures.
It’s a time to celebrate the people, history, music, food and contributions of Americans with Hispanic heritage from Spain, Mexico, Central and South Americas, and the Caribbean.
According to History.com, Hispanic Heritage Month actually began as a commemorative week, like many of our other observed periods, like Women’s History Month. It was first introduced in June 1968 by California Congressman George E. Brown, as part of a growing push throughout that decade as more awareness and appreciation for cultures in the U.S. began to emerge.
In September 1968, Congress passed Public Law 90-48 which called for annual proclamations from the president declaring Sept. 15 and 16 to mark the beginning of National Hispanic Heritage Week and President Lyndon B. Johnson issued that first presidential proclamation that day.
Those yearly proclamations continued through 1988. In 1989, President George H.W. Bush, who was a sponsor of the original Week resolution more than 20 years prior, was the first president to declare the period between Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 National Hispanic Heritage Month. It has continued to be declared by every sitting president since.
The reason those dates in particular are significant has everything to do with Hispanic cultures themselves. That month encompasses the independence days of many Latin American countries, including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico and Chile.
To find out more about that part of the history, click here.