National Hispanic-Latino Heritage Month recently began on September 15th and will come to a close on October 15th. While many Montgomery County residents are aware that this celebratory month was established in an effort to increase awareness of important Hispanic American experiences and legacies, some do not know the historical origins behind its creation.
This period of celebration started in 1968 when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed Representative George Edward Brown’s proposal for a Hispanic Heritage Week into law. In 1987, Representative Esteban Torres of California crafted a bill to extend the commemorative week into a month; however, this attempt was rejected in committee. When Senator Paul Simon of Illinois amended the bill a year later, he managed to get it passed and September 15 became the official first day of Hispanic Heritage Month.
September 15th is a special day because it coincides with the independence days of five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Mexico, Chile, and Belize celebrate the day they gained their independence on September 16, September 18, and September 21, respectively.
For the past few weeks, people across the country have been celebrating and recognizing the contributions Hispanic and Latino Americans have made to their heritage and culture.
According to the official Hispanic Heritage Month website, many government institutions like The Library of Congress, the National Gallery of Art, and the Smithsonian Institution have joined to “[pay] tribute to the generations of Hispanic Americans that have positively influenced and enriched our nation and society.” These institutions are paying tribute through events such as the Smithsonian Zoo’s “ZooFiesta”, which had live music and fun educational activities about conservation in South and Central America. On the political front, Congressman Pete Aguilar held a meeting to discuss issues Hispanics and Latinos are facing today.
Government institutions are not alone in celebrating Hispanic Heritage, however. Richard Montgomery High School recently held a week of celebratory lunch activities that included students dancing to Spanish music and delivering Spanish poems, as well as a mini student-led fair that provided information about Hispanic and Latino countries.
By celebrating Hispanic-Latino Heritage Month, MCPS students and Americans at large are able to honor the variety of cultures and histories present in the US as well as rejoice in the bonds that tie all Americans together. This month is especially beneficial because it educates young children about important historical figures that have helped mold the world into what it is today, and causes the youth to recognize the necessity of understanding a variety of cultures.
Article by MoCo Student staff writer Shane Querbin of Richard Montgomery High School