Hispanic Heritage Month is the period from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 dedicated to the recognition and celebration of the historical and cultural contributions made by Hispanic and Latinx Americans in the United States.
The date Sept. 15 is significant because it marks the anniversary of independence of five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.
Though this celebration spans a timeframe equivalent to a full month, in 1968 Hispanic Heritage was only commemorated for a week. In August 1988, former President Ronald Regan enacted that it be celebrated for a full 31 days.
Now, the Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum to name a few, band together to pay homage to the generations of Hispanic Americans who have contributed in enriching the United States and its society.
These organizations host events for the entirety of the 31-day celebration which ranges from a Hispanic Heritage Month Art Gallery from the Smithsonian to a Latinx Culture Wikipedia Edit-a-thon put on by the Library of Congress.
Sam Houston State University’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences also puts on their own events in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month such as a Latinx professional development workshop, a Latin dance night, a Latinx movie night and more.
This is another demonstration of how SHSU remains a hub of cultural activity and recognition.
The next Hispanic Heritage Month event set to occur at SHSU is the Latinx Professional Development Workshop taking place Sept. 24. Contact the CHSS Diversity and Inclusion Committee for more information about the event.
