National Hispanic Heritage Month begins on September 15 and extends through October 15 2021, taking in the bicentennial independence anniversaries of El Salvador, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Mexico, and Chile, and Mexico’s Día de la Raza (Race Day) on October 12, celebrating Mexico’s mixed indigenous and European heritage.
The current observance of Hispanic Heritage Month began as Hispanic Heritage Week in 1968 under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period starting on September 15 and ending on October 15.
Here are a few ways to celebrate the rich and varied history, culture, and contributions of Hispanic Americans whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America:
Books to read:
- “Cantoras” by Carolina de Robertis
- “The Diary of Frida Kahlo: An Intimate Self-Portrait” by Carlos Fuentes
- “How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents” by Julia Alvarez
- “Once I was You: A Memoir of Love and Hate in a Torn America” by Maria Hinojosa
- “Postcolonial Love Poem” by Natalie Diaz
Films to enjoy:
- “Cesar’s Last Fast” Preview on YouTube | Borrow through Virgo
- “Don’t Let Me Drown” Preview on IMDB | Borrow through Virgo
- “Echo Park LA” [“Quinceañera”] Preview on IMDB | Stream through Virgo
- “Raising Victor Vargas” Preview on IMDB | Borrow through Virgo
- “Tortilla Soup” Preview on IMDB | Borrow through Virgo
… and more!
- C’ville Sabroso at the Ix Art Park: September 21
- Hispanic Heritage Month: September 15 – October 15
- 12 Hispanic Heritage Month Activities to Try This Year
Many thanks to Suzanne Bombard for writing assistance on this piece.