Hispanic Heritage Month
By: Victoria Martinez, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2024
We celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 through October 15 to acknowledge the cultural contributions, diverse identities, and historical achievements of Hispanic Americans in the United States and who inspire others to continue the pursuit of equality and representation.
Hispanic Heritage Month originated from Hispanic Heritage Week, a bill signed by President Lyndon Johnson in 1968 to recognize the need to honor diverse cultures during the civil rights movement. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan expanded the celebration from September 15 to October 15 and renamed the 30-day period to Hispanic Heritage Month.
We begin the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month on September 15th to coincide with the countries of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua declaring their independence from Spain.
On September 16, 1810, Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla gave the “Grito de Dolores” calling for the end of Spanish rule and launched the Mexican War of Independence.
On September 18, 1810, Chile established its first government Junta, marking the beginning of Chile’s independence which is now celebrated as a national holiday.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the first Hispanic United States Supreme Court Justice stated “It is important for all of us to appreciate where we come from and how that history has really shaped us in ways that we might not understand.”
Understanding the challenges of immigration, language barriers, education, and inequality, can inspire engagement and positive change in the Hispanic community. “Every moment is an organizing opportunity, every person a potential activist, every minute a chance to change the world,” shared Dolores Huerta, labor and civil rights activist.
The challenges the Hispanic community faces affects economic stability, social mobility, and the ability to participate in American society. Advancement opportunities, legal protections, and resources are required to address these issues of inequality.
During his 1984 speech at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco, Cesar Chavez voiced, “Once social change begins, it cannot be reversed. You cannot uneducate the person who has learned to read. You cannot humiliate the person who feels pride. You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore.”
