October is a special month, not only for Halloween lovers but for the Hispanic culture as well. September 15-October 15 is national Hispanic heritage month across America so that people can honor the Hispanic people living in America and their contributions they have made to the United States.
National Hispanic Heritage Month was first established by President Johnsan in 1968 as a week-long celebration, but twenty years later it was turned into a month by President Raegan. This month it’s important to Hispanic people because they get the recognition of how they helped shape America, and it also gives people a preview of what Hispanic heritage is all about. Hispanic heritage month starts in the middle of September because in many Central American countries like Costa Rica or El Salvador, that’s when they were able to gain their independence from other countries, so this month is significant to that.
Many Hispanic and Latino individuals have influenced and shaped America in such areas as art, music, literature, science, politics, and sports. In the music field, people such as Willie Colón, Selena, Pitbull, and Marc Anthony have made great and influential contributions to music in America. In the literature field, people such as Cristina Garcia, Julia Álvarez, Gloria Anzaldúa, and Oscar Hijuelos have influenced literature.
In science, people like Carlos Juan Findlay, Bernardo Alberto Houssay, Alfonso Caso y Andrade, Luis Federico Leloir, Luis Alvarez, Jacinto Convit, and Baruch Benacerraf have all made great contributions to the science field. If you want to know more about these people, go to Latino.si.edu.
Hispanic month doesn’t just consist of people from Mexico; it also consists of people from South America and Central America; each country has a different culture and different ways of celebrating. The most known Hispanic holidays are Dia de Muertos, Revolution Day, Cinco de Mayo, Dia de Reyes, and Las Posadas. The most known foods are Tortilla Espanola, Empanadas, Tamala’s, Tacos, and Tajadas. The most known dances are the salsa, bachata, tango, cha cha, and rumba.
When people think of Hispanic culture, some people think it’s the same, but the people are different. Mexicans and Latinos are different uses of words. The term Mexican says that the person is from Mexico, living in Mexico, or has ancestry. The term Latino usually means that the person is from South or Central America. But another term, Hispanic, means the person has Latin ancestry descent but they live in America.
There’s been many Hispanic key figures in history, such as César Chávez, Frida Kahlo , Celia Cruz, and Dolores Huerta. César Chávez founded the United Farm workers in the United States and earned the right to have safe working conditions and better pay. Frida Kahlo is well known for her amazing self-portraits, which showed the viewers her visionary power, and she became the first female artist to go against the canons in art to be able to explore her psyche.
Celia Cruz was a popular Latin singer in Cuba and founded the Celia Cruz Foundation, which raises funds for underprivileged students that want to study music. Dolores Huerta has also advocated for safer working conditions for the agricultural workers, and she also led the fight for racial and labor justice for women. All these people have made a big impact in the United States today.
During Hispanic Heritage Month, many events take place, like concerts, parades, festivals, and art exhibitions. This year the Raices Brewing Company is having live music that consists of Latin music and dancing from Chimbangle, Cultura Latin Trio, Joshua Trinidad, Miguel Soldevila, Orquesta La Brava, and more.
Try to find a festival or parade in your area so you can learn more about Hispanic culture. Or to help support Hispanic people by participating in local events containing their heritage, supporting Hispanic businesses and organizations.
Hispanic Heritage Month is an important month around America, and even if it is not widely celebrated, people can take the time to know more about Hispanic heritage and take the time to truly learn about their culture and key figures in the Hispanic community.
