The term hispanic heritage refers to the cultures, histories, and contributions of Americans whose ancestors hail from Mexico, Central America, and South America. This month, the National Archives commemorates these Americans with resources from our collection that include virtual exhibits, bilingual resources, and stories of Latino achievements.
The Hispanic Heritage Month is an important opportunity to teach our students about the diverse people and communities that make up the United States. It also provides an ideal time to discuss how the American culture is enriched by the many different identities that make up our society, and the complex issues that arise from these differences.
Hispanic Heritage is a federal holiday celebrated on September 15 and October 15. It celebrates the cultures, histories, and contributions of U.S. citizens whose ancestors came from Mexico, parts of the Caribbean Islands, and other countries in Latin America. National Hispanic Heritage Month was first established in 1968 by California Congressman George E. Brown, who was interested in recognizing the important role that Hispanic Americans have played in American history.
From the beginning, Hispanic Heritage Month has been a time to honor the many ways in which these Americans have helped to shape our country. In addition to a rich and vibrant cultural heritage, Hispanic Americans have contributed in numerous ways to the United States through business, science, education, art, and public service. For example, Hispanic Americans have fought in every war since the Revolutionary War and are now one of our country’s largest groups of veterans.
In a nation that is becoming increasingly diverse, understanding the importance of celebrating these heritages and identities is key to building empathy and respect. This is why the National Archives is proud to offer these educational resources during Hispanic Heritage Month and throughout the year.
Historically, Hispanic heritage has been used to describe people of all ages and backgrounds who share common characteristics such as language, race/ethnicity, or region of origin. Often, these characteristics are interconnected. For instance, Hispanics in the United States have shared experiences with African Americans and Native Americans that span centuries.
These shared experiences have helped to build trust and collaboration across the country, including in government, where Hispanic heritage has been an asset for organizations like the National Council of La Raza. Groups like this have worked to ensure that all Hispanics are represented in government, and they use Hispanic Heritage as an opportunity to highlight their work.
This is evident in the way that Hispanic Heritage is reflected in our country’s policies. For example, Hispanic Heritage has been an important part of the Census Bureau since 1970. This is when the Census began to ask respondents to identify themselves as Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, or Central or South American, or to say “No, I don’t.”
In 1990, Hispanic Heritage was added as a category in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. In 1997, Hispanic Heritage was changed to Latino/a or Latinx to address the fact that people can be more than just Hispanic. In the future, we hope to continue to see these changes as more people identify with more than just Hispanic heritage.