Wednesday, September 15, 2021
Hispanic Heritage Month: History and Ways to Celebrate
What is Hispanic Heritage Month?
Hispanic Heritage Month began in 1968 to celebrate the independence of several Latin and South American countries. September is revered as a month of revolution, determination, freedom and liberation within Hispanic and Latino Communities as September 15 marks the independence of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua, September 16 marks the independence of Mexico, September 18 for Chile and September 21 for Belize!
Who Does This Month Celebrate?
According to the Pew Research Center, only two-thirds of Hispanic individuals feel that their Hispanic background is part of their racial background. This statistic suggests that even within the Hispanic community, there are differences in how people self-identify. Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates the diversity of Hispanic and Latino cultures, revolutionaries and identities all around the world!
Hispanic: Hispanic refers to people who speak Spanish or who are descendants of those from Spanish-speaking countries – historically Spain. In other words, Hispanic refers to the language that a person speaks or that their ancestors spoke. For this reason, people who are Hispanic may vary in their race and where they live or originate. For example, a white person from Mexico and a brown-skinned person from the Dominican Republic might both call themselves Hispanic, even though the only thing they may have in common is their spoken language.
Latino: Latino refers to a person or community of Latin American origin or descent, specifically, people from Latin America including Central America, South America and the Caribbean. In recent years, Latinx has become a popularized term. Latinx is to be used as a gender-neutral, or nonbinary alternative, to Latino or Latina. Like being Hispanic, being Latino says nothing about your race; Latinos may be White, Black, Indigenous, Asian, etc. A person who is Hispanic may also be Latino, but this is not always necessarily the case. For example, a person from Spain would be Hispanic but not Latino because Spain is a Spanish-speaking country but not a Latin American country.
*Individuals are free to express themselves in any way they’d like to. Therefore, how do you know when to use Hispanic/Latinx? It’s best to respect whatever label a person gives themselves or to avoid labels altogether if that is their preference.
Three Ways to Honor/Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and Culture
• Never Assume Identity
It is best to respect whatever label a person gives themselves because there is a plethora of ways in which a person might identify. Therefore, ask a person’s ethnicity, nationality and preferred terminology before assuming.
• Celebrate Diversity
Hispanic and Latino Heritage is not a monolith. Every language, culture, individual and community within Hispanic and Latino culture is diverse and nuanced. And while the Spanish language connects an abundance of Hispanic and Latino cultures, language is just the starting point. There’s so much to learn!
• Ask Questions
Food, festivals and celebratory events — all of them have a purpose during this month and so many other heritage months. Dig deeper by asking the “why” questions and listening with intent and vigor to understand the needs of the Hispanic and Latino Community while learning more about Hispanic Heritage Month.
Hispanic Heritage Month began in 1968 to celebrate the independence of several Latin and South American countries. September is revered as a month of revolution, determination, freedom and liberation within Hispanic and Latino Communities as September 15 marks the independence of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua, September 16 marks the independence of Mexico, September 18 for Chile and September 21 for Belize!
Who Does This Month Celebrate?
According to the Pew Research Center, only two-thirds of Hispanic individuals feel that their Hispanic background is part of their racial background. This statistic suggests that even within the Hispanic community, there are differences in how people self-identify. Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates the diversity of Hispanic and Latino cultures, revolutionaries and identities all around the world!
Hispanic: Hispanic refers to people who speak Spanish or who are descendants of those from Spanish-speaking countries – historically Spain. In other words, Hispanic refers to the language that a person speaks or that their ancestors spoke. For this reason, people who are Hispanic may vary in their race and where they live or originate. For example, a white person from Mexico and a brown-skinned person from the Dominican Republic might both call themselves Hispanic, even though the only thing they may have in common is their spoken language.
Latino: Latino refers to a person or community of Latin American origin or descent, specifically, people from Latin America including Central America, South America and the Caribbean. In recent years, Latinx has become a popularized term. Latinx is to be used as a gender-neutral, or nonbinary alternative, to Latino or Latina. Like being Hispanic, being Latino says nothing about your race; Latinos may be White, Black, Indigenous, Asian, etc. A person who is Hispanic may also be Latino, but this is not always necessarily the case. For example, a person from Spain would be Hispanic but not Latino because Spain is a Spanish-speaking country but not a Latin American country.
*Individuals are free to express themselves in any way they’d like to. Therefore, how do you know when to use Hispanic/Latinx? It’s best to respect whatever label a person gives themselves or to avoid labels altogether if that is their preference.
Three Ways to Honor/Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and Culture
• Never Assume Identity
It is best to respect whatever label a person gives themselves because there is a plethora of ways in which a person might identify. Therefore, ask a person’s ethnicity, nationality and preferred terminology before assuming.
• Celebrate Diversity
Hispanic and Latino Heritage is not a monolith. Every language, culture, individual and community within Hispanic and Latino culture is diverse and nuanced. And while the Spanish language connects an abundance of Hispanic and Latino cultures, language is just the starting point. There’s so much to learn!
• Ask Questions
Food, festivals and celebratory events — all of them have a purpose during this month and so many other heritage months. Dig deeper by asking the “why” questions and listening with intent and vigor to understand the needs of the Hispanic and Latino Community while learning more about Hispanic Heritage Month.