It’s Hispanic Heritage Month, which means September 15 to October 15 is a time to celebrate the history, diverse cultures and extensive contributions of Americans whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. The 2023 recognition theme, Latinos: Driving Prosperity, Power and Progress in America, highlights the contributions of this country’s rapidly growing community.
While that’s all very well and good, a larger debate continues to swirl over what terms best capture the complexity of those who identify as Hispanic or Latino. Even government entities have a hard time agreeing on which term is most appropriate. NPR’s recent report on the controversy over Hispanic Heritage Month illustrates this ongoing debate.
Among government agencies, the National Park Service uses the term “Hispanic” to refer to people of Mexican, Puerto Rican and Cuban descent in its official description of the annual celebration that begins on Sept. 15. Other government agencies use the term “Latino” to describe the heritage of people from other Latin American countries, including those who have ancestors from Ecuador, Colombia, Honduras, Peru and Venezuela. And there is a third term that some use — Latinx, which is gender-neutral and encompasses both Spanish-speaking people and those from non-Spanish-speaking countries.
All of these designations have their advantages and disadvantages, but the most important one may be the fact that they exist at all. It’s a way to bring attention to the many ways the Hispanic community has contributed to the United States and to raise awareness about how those contributions continue to shape our lives today.
Seth Motel and Eileen Patten are research assistants at the Pew Hispanic Center. They recently published a new report that compares the characteristics of the 10 largest Hispanic origin groups in the U.S. Using data from the 2010 American Community Survey and the 2000 Census, the report includes statistical profiles for Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Salvadorans, Guatemalans, Dominicans, Colombians, Hondurans, Ecuadorians and Peruvians.
Each of these Hispanic and Latino groups has distinct cultures and experiences, yet they are all woven into the fabric of the United States. And they all contribute to the richness of our nation. NPR is proud to celebrate them all throughout the year, but especially during Hispanic Heritage Month. NPR’s Hispanic Heritage resources include lesson plans for educators and a collection of stories that highlight the varied histories, diverse cultures and extensive contributions of American Latinos. This resource guide brings together materials from NEH summer seminars and institutes, classroom lessons from partner organizations and think pieces on the lasting impact of Hispanic and Latino contributions to the United States. It’s available for download as a free pdf. NPR is also providing a video version of the resource for use in classrooms. We hope you will share it with students and colleagues. Thank you for your support. This project was made possible with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities. For more information, please visit our Hispanic Heritage website.