Performers at the Hispanic Day Parade in New York City./James Keivom/New York Daily News

Hispanic Heritage Month is about embracing and uplifting Latinx contributions to the very fabric of our society.

VotoLatino Instagram.

There’s no shortage of Latinx titans to look up to, pioneers who’ve become our heroes and sheroes. We have astronaut Dr. Ellen Ochoa, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, and composer and playwright extraordinaire Lin Manuel-Miranda to name a few. These trailblazers in their respective fields have opened many paths of opportunity. 

An attendee of the 2018 Carnaval De La Cultura Latina event./carnavaldelaculturalatina.com

So what’s the best way for you to celebrate? For the next four weeks you’ll have plenty of vibrant performances, lectures and family activities in communities throughout the U.S. to choose from. Flagship events include El Barrio Latin Jazz festival in New York, and the Hispanic Day Parade on Fifth Avenue in New York City.

This month, pick up a book with a cultural twist. 

The national recognition of all-things-hispanic began in 1988 when President Ronald Reagan extended Hispanic Heritage Week (first observed under President Lyndon Johnson) to a month-long annual celebration from September 15 to October 15. It was intended to promote the history, culture and contributions of Latinxs with ancestors from Mexico, the Caribbean, Central and South America, and Spain. 

Why not a regular calendar month? HHM begins on September 15 in honor of the independence days of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua, followed by Mexico on the 16the and Chile on the 18th.So, let’s rejoice in all the positive mentions of our beautiful cultura and our gente’s contributions!

Author