Hispanic Heritage Month
About Hispanic Heritage Month
Today marks the end of Hispanic Heritage Month, a 30-day celebration of the culture and contributions of Hispanic and Latino/Latinx Americans—that is, Americans whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.
Official recognition of the holiday began in 1968, and was celebrated for a week, until the observance was expanded to 30 days in 1988. The dates of Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 - October 15) are additionally meaningful because other important dates and celebrations fall into this time frame, such as the anniversaries of independence in Costa Rica, Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico, and Chile.
Check out the video below from the US Department of the Interior that “showcases the diversity of the Hispanic and Latinx experience.”
How Hispanic and Latino/Latinx Heritage Contributes to Our Shared Community
Persons of Hispanic and/or Latino/Latinx descent are an important part of Ohio’s cultural fabric—in fact, in the 2010 Census, nearly 355,000 Ohioans identified as Hispanic or Latino/Latinx, a number that is estimated to have grown to about 420,000 today. About one fifth of Hispanic and Latino/Latinx Ohioans are foreign-born, and nine out of ten of these New American neighbors speak Spanish at home, adding to the rich linguistic diversity of Ohio (Did you know? More than 218,000 residents of the Columbus area speak a language other than English at home!). Further, the Hispanic Chamber of Columbus estimates that there are 16,000 Hispanic-owned businesses in Ohio, providing goods and services, employment, and economic growth in communities across the state.
Although Hispanic Heritage Month is coming to an end this week, events focused on the variety of Hispanic and Latino/Latinx cultures, faiths, arts, and foods continue! A few coming up in Columbus include:
Dr. Alejandro Diez of OSU Wexner Medical Center presents “Caring for Our Hispanic Latino Patients” (Webinar, October 19 from 1:30-2:30 PM)
Find more upcoming events related to Hispanic Heritage Month around the state of Ohio on the Ohio Latino Affairs Commission’s webpage.