It’s Hispanic Heritage Month
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.
More than 62 million Hispanic, Latino, and Latinx Americans live 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?
- Hispanic refers 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.
- Latino is 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.
Click here and here to learn about Hispanic Heritage Month events in NYC!
