In 1968 President Lyndon Johnson started the observation of the event, but it was only a week long. It was not until 1988 that it expanded to cover a 30-day period: September 15th – October 15th. The significance of September 15th stems from it being the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries: El Salvador, Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Guatemala. The month is a joyous celebration and proud remembrance of the contributions of American citizens whose ancestors originated from Mexico, Central and South America, Spain, and the Caribbean.
The national theme of 2023 is Latinos: Driving Prosperity, Power, and Progress in America. The theme celebrates the communities’ population growth, increasing political representation, and economic success that continues to pave the way for rise and recognition of Latinos as positive contributors to the country.
Those coming from the Latin diaspora bring a rich influence, an intersection of culture, language, and history that span the Americas, Africa, and Europe, to the American experience.
Commonfund, in conjunction with our Hispanic Heritage Month subcommittee, has created a resource guide to help all of us celebrate the contributions of Hispanic and Latin Americans in all aspects of American Life.
The Commonfund Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee has created a resource guide to help all of us celebrate the contributions of Latinos in all aspects of American life. With that said, this resource guide is not an exhaustive list by any stretch of the imagination, the hope is that you will take advantage of at least a few of these resources to begin your exploration of this very important part of American history; your history, our history.