National Hispanic Heritage Month on September, 2024: Why does the USA celebrate a National Hispanic Heritage Month?

September, 2024 is National Hispanic Heritage Month 2024. National Hispanic Heritage Month is the period from September 15 to October 15 in the United States, when people recognize the contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans to the United States and celebrate the group's heritage and culture.

National Hispanic Heritage Month is the period from September 15 to October 15 in the United States, when people recognize the contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans to the United States and celebrate the group's heritage and culture.

These are all the "ethnic" heritage months recognized by the US Congress through special Presidential decree:

Black History Month (February)

Irish-American Heritage Month (March)

Jewish American Heritage Month (May)

Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (May)

Caribbean-American Heritage Month (June)

National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15–October 15)

National American Indian Heritage Month (November)

You may choose to see the special celebration of ethnicities as racist, but by the plethora of ethnicities that are officially recognized, you should see that its actually a celebration of the diversity of the American society.

What's the day for all of us? July 4th, because over the years, this nation has become one that is not defined by its language or the color of its people, but a place where all people can come to make their lives and this world a better place. Maybe once our citizens start to recognize that, we wouldn't have so many problems...

Ideas for Hispanic Heritage Month Activities/Events?

That's a great idea! I wish you all the best. Unfortunately I don't know much about decorations or art but I do have a fairly reasonable amount of cultural and historical knowledge. Perhaps you could use some of these facts to help.

- Perhaps add some flags of Latin American nations, with Spain's national flag right in the middle.

- Discussions/talks or make a leaflet about events in Latin American recent history (civil wars, dictatorships), the Spanish colonization of the Americas from the southern tip of Argentina to northern Wyoming, and also nations that individual Hispanics are descended from.

- You could also add how all Hispanic individuals can trace their cultural identity back to the nation of Spain. For a start, the word "Hispanic" is a component of the word "Hispania", Latin for 'Spain'. For instance, White Hispanics are most likely descended from Spanish colonists, Black Hispanics are most likely descended from African slaves brought over from Spanish colonies in sub-Saharan Africa (e.g. Equatorial Guinea and parts of Senegal) to work in plantations on Spanish territories in the Americas (e.g. Mexico, Uruguay, the southern half of the United States), and Mexican/Central-American Hispanics are most likely to be of 'mestivo' heritage - half indigenous Amerindian (in other words, Native American or 'Red Indian'), and half white Spaniard.

- You could also say how lots of states (Nevada, Arizona, California, Texas, Colorado, Florida, Utah and most of Oregon, Idaho and Wyoming) in the USA were conquered by the Spanish Army with Cortes and Pizarro and that is why some these states and their cities have Spanish names (e.g. Las Vegas/"The Meadows", San Francisco/"Saint Francis", Los Angeles/"The Angeles", San Antonio/"Saint Anthony" and many more.)

- You could also discuss Roman Catholicism, the majority faith of Hispanics which is again, another ancestral influence from Spain.

- More discussion about how the majority of Latin America is of Spanish descent or influence, minority influences exist in specific Latin American nations, as well as indigenous cultures, including Italian influences in Argentina and Uruguay, Portuguese influences in Brazil, and French influences in French Guyana, Haiti and Louisiana.

- Discussions about racism and prejudice towards Hispanics and other ethnicities, including the anger and frustration towards the so-called "illegals". You could also mention that many of these "illegals" are individuals who have been denied asylum and who otherwise be killed by their native governments, many of which who have been supported by the US. Also you could mention about Hispanics participation in anti-racism and ethnic unity, whilst retaining Hispanic pride and identity.

- Include a quote, from me, a non-Hispanic Canadian, that "during my time in the US I have generally found the Hispanic population to be intelligent, hard-working and friendly with an interesting and varied background."