Across the United States, people from Hispanic cultures celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month every September 15 through October 15. The celebration honors the culture, histories, and contributions of Americans whose ancestry is from Spain, Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean.
The term Hispanic has become a broad umbrella category, but there are many different ways to identify with a Latino culture. People choose to identify by their ethnicity, such as Mexican American or Puerto Rican, or they may prefer to use more specific terms like Chicano or Tejano.
Hispanic Heritage Month is an important time to teach kids about the differences in culture and traditions that make up the diverse group of people we know as Latinos, Latinas, or Latinx. As with any other culture, it’s helpful to start from the basics and ask kids what they know about the different cultures represented by this pan-ethnic community.
There are many resources available to help teachers and families celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in the classroom and at home. These include the National Park Service’s Hispanic Heritage Collection, the Library of Congress’ Hispanic and Spanish Collection, and the NBCU Academy series Understanding Hispanic Heritage. In addition, teachers can use this opportunity to introduce students to the rich history of Latino contributions to the United States through the NEH-funded documentary Hispanic Americans.
Throughout the country, families are coming together to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. For many, this means making traditional dishes and introducing children to dance traditions. It’s also a great time to talk with kids about the importance of family and how it connects us to our communities, past and present.
The use of the word Hispanic began to change in the 1960s as activist groups used it to gain federal recognition for their issues and concerns. Hispanic became the umbrella term for these groups, including the National Council of La Raza (now UnidosUS), so they could be more effective in advocating at the local and national levels.
At the same time, Hispanic Heritage Month was becoming a more prominent event, and there was a growing need for schools to have additional resources to teach about the cultures of their students. This led to the creation of the Hispanic Heritage Collection at the Library of Congress and the NBCU Academy Hispanic American resource series.
In 1985, the Hispanic origin of decedent item was added to mortality data collected by 17 states and Washington, D.C., and in 1997, all 50 states and the District of Columbia reported this information on death certificates. This helped increase the overall representation of Hispanics in all data, but also highlights how the cultural background and experiences of Latinos are reflected differently by each individual state or territory. As a result, it is important for those using statistics to understand that the Hispanic origin of decedent statistic does not represent all people with Latino ancestry and that the data should be viewed in context of the states reporting it.