Jessica M. Sanchez, HR Business Partner, People & Culture
September 15th marked the start of Hispanic Heritage Month (HHM), an annual celebration of the history and culture of the U.S. Hispanic and Latinx communities. The month-long celebration spans from September 15 to October 15 and commemorates the role played by Hispanic and Latinx communities throughout American history.
Hispanic Heritage Month was first introduced in June of 1968 by California Congressman George E. Brown as a commemorative week. From 1968 until 1988 Hispanic Heritage celebrations were observed by Presidential proclamations as a weeklong celebration. Not until 1987 when U.S. Representative Esteban E. Torres of California proposed expanding the observance to cover its current 31-day period. On September 14, 1989, President George H.W. Bush became the first president to declare the 31-day period from September 15 to October 15 as National Hispanic Heritage Month. In the decades since, National Hispanic Heritage Month proclamations have been made by every sitting president of the United States.
The timing of HHM coincides with the Independence Day celebrations of several Latin American nations. September 15th is the Independence Day celebration for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua who declared independence from Spain on September 15, 1821. Mexico declared its independence from Spain on September 16, 1810 followed by Chile who declared its independence from Spain on September 18, 1810 and Belize, which declared its independence from Great Britain on September 21, 1981.
We invite everyone to join us in commemorating Hispanic Heritage Month, as we explore and celebrate the diverse and rich Hispanic and Latinx cultures. Look out for fun history tidbits, spotlights on influential figures, and how you can join the conversations and celebrations throughout the month via Teams, email, and newsletter.
Do you have a DE&I topic you would like to discuss or explore? Email us, send your topics and thoughts to DEI@mci-group.com.
Great information I was not aware of!