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NYCHA Now
Hispanic Heritage Month
Celebrations September 2024 

Celebrating the Hispanic and Latinx Community

Michael Corwin

Hispanic Heritage Month, also known as Latinx Heritage Month, is a month-long celebration from September 15 through October 15. These dates were selected to incorporate the independence days of Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua. Latinx Heritage Month recognizes the legacies and contributions of individuals who trace their roots to Spain, Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Spanish-speaking nations of the Caribbean. 

The 2020 Census found that there were roughly 62 million Hispanic, Latino, and Latinx Americans living in the United States. There are many Hispanic Americans who made their mark on history, including Rita Moreno, Cesar Chavez, Roberto Clemente, Jennifer Lopez, Ellen Ochoa, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, and Dolores Huerta, to name a few.  Notable Afro-Latino Americans include Arturo Schomburg, Celia Cruz, Carlos Russell, Julia De Burgos, among others.

What’s the difference between Hispanic and Latino and Latinx?

  • Hispanicrefers to people from Spanish-speaking countries once colonized by Spain (Hispanicized) and Spain itself. This includes Mexico, most of South and Central America, and the Spanish-speaking Caribbean.  
  • Latinois shorthand for the Spanish and Portuguese word  It broadly unites all countries in Latin America (South America, Central America, the Spanish-speaking Caribbean, and Mexico), including Brazil, to create a shared cultural identity.
  • Latinx (and Latine)further expands upon Latino as a gender-neutral version of the term.

NYCHA’s Employee Association

Did you know NYCHA has an employee association called the Organization of Hispanic and Latin Americans (OHLA)? Their mission is to promote and provide opportunities for all NYCHA employees to learn and experience the full breadth of Hispanic and Latin American cultures. With an inclusive mindset, OHLA’s goals are to foster and encourage unity through mutually beneficial interaction amongst NYCHA’s diverse workforce. To join, or for more information, please email OHLA at ohla.ea@nycha.nyc.gov.

Events: Anyone Can Participate and Celebrate!

NYCHA Events:

  • OHLA’s Trip to Atlantic City

Around NYC: