“The Latin community and Latin history are integral to American history,” said Emily Kee, director of education at the Smithsonian Latin Center. “The main reason this month is important is to recognize and understand it.”
Here’s why America remembers Hispanic Heritage Month and what you need to know about it.
Instead of starting in early September, Hispanic Heritage Month begins on the 15th and lasts for 30 days – approval of the national independence anniversaries of many Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua all recognize on September 15th as their Independence Day, while Mexico’s Independence on September 16th and Chile celebrates independence on September 18th.
“It has been a long time since the Sikano, Mexican Americans in the Southwest, and Latinos across the country have called for greater political, cultural, social, and economic inclusion and representation – all,” said Geraldo Gadawa, professor of history and Latin and Latin. He studied at Northwestern University and lecturer at “The Hispanic Republican Party”.
“This is a call for greater membership and representation and for the Latin people to play a key role in the United States,” he said.
California Representative Esteban Torres tabled a bill to expand it, commenting at the time, “The public needs to know that we share a heritage with other parts of the country, including artists, writers, Olympic champions, business leaders, government, cinema. and science. ”
Torres died on the bill, but Illinois sen. Paul Simon presented a bill similar to the one signed by Reagan.
The contributions of Hispanics and Latinos to the United States were long and qualitative: Key pointed out that the first known colony in the United States was the colonial colony of St. Augustine in Florida, not Jamestown.
“Hispanics or Latinos … they have fought in every war since the American Revolution,” he said. “They are entrepreneurs and players and teachers and public employees”.
He added: “Latin Americans are part of this American fabric”.
Growing population
But Hispanic Heritage Month is an opportunity for the country to recognize not only the rich history of its various Hispanic communities but also who they are today, said Felix Sanchez, president of the National Hispanic Arts Foundation.
“Hispanic Heritage Month, today offers the American people the opportunity to renew who the Latin people are,” he said, “to provide a contemporary environment for all of our communities that are part of the Latin ecosystem.”
Part of that contemporary context is that Hispanics and Latinos are increasingly part of the overall American population.
Between 2010 and 2020, according to the Census Bureau, more than half of the total US population growth – 51.1% – was due to growth among Hispanics or Latinos.
This development is another reason why Hispanic Heritage Month is important, Kee said. “If you are 18% or more of the population, you must have representation and we must celebrate and understand these communities that make up a large part of the country’s population.”
Observing the traditional Hispanic month
“In your local community, if you are going to a march for Mexican independence, and there are a lot of people all over the country, you have to do it,” he said.
Or you can talk to people near you, Kee said. “Talk to a friend, talk to a classmate, talk to a neighbor, get your favorite tacos at your local grocery store or restaurant,” he said.
“People want to share their culture and their communities. … Find out who they are and why they are in the neighborhood they are in, and we generally share more than we think ”.
“Ideally, Hispanic Heritage Month wouldn’t be necessary,” Kadawa said.
Sanchez told CNN, “Hispanic Heritage Month is an opportunity to strengthen the achievements of the Latin community and extend it beyond the Latin community, reminding all Americans that we are Americans.”
