Unique ways to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

National Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated annually from September 15 to October 15 in the United States. Started by Congress in 1968, when the event was a week-long recognition of Hispanic culture, the celebration became Hispanic Heritage Month in 1988.

The mid-month beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month has sparked many people’s curiosity since 1968. The Pew Research Center notes the timing of Hispanic Heritage Month was chosen to coincide with celebrations of independence in various Latin American countries, many of which occur in mid-September. So beginning Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations in mid-September, when millions of people of Hispanic descent are celebrating their own or their ancestors’ home nations’ independence, makes a lot of sense.

A Pew Research Center analysis of population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau indicate the Hispanic population has risen dramatically in the United States over the last half century, rising from 9.6 million in 1970 to 63.6 million in 2022. Such data indicates that Hispanic heritage is something to celebrate in the United States, and the following are some unique ways to do just that.

• Host a parade. A Hispanic Heritage Month parade down Main Street can be a great way for local communities to formally recognize the contributions of their neighbors of Hispanic descent. Invite local business leaders, organizers, educators, and others of Hispanic heritage to march in the parade and urge residents to attend and partake in this celebration of Hispanic culture.

• Highlight notable Hispanic individuals in your community. Community leaders and elected officials can utilize their platforms, including social media pages, to highlight notable Hispanic individuals in their communities. Showcase past and present individuals, sharing their personal histories and calling attention to how they have helped make their communities great places to live.

• Organize a Hispanic Heritage Restaurant Week. Hispanic individuals have brought many valuable things from their home nations to the United States, and that includes cuisine. Community leaders can work with Hispanic restaurant owners in their communities to organize and promote a Hispanic Heritage Restaurant Week in their towns and cities. This is a great and delicious way to introduce individuals to accessible components of Hispanic culture in their communities.

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• Promote Hispanic authors via the local library. Local libraries are great places to educate individuals about notable events, and Hispanic Heritage Month is no exception. Local librarians can organize displays of works by Hispanic authors and promote a different work via social media each day between September 15 and October 15.

The Hispanic population in the U.S. has risen dramatically since 1970. That makes it even more important that communities embrace opportunities to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month this September and October.