Public Library Of Youngstown & Mahoning County: Hispanic Heritage Month

Press release from the Public Library of Youngstown & Mahoning County:

Kelly

September 15th, 2021

What is Hispanic Heritage Month? 

Hispanic Heritage Month is a time for celebrating the Hispanic Culture, and recognizing the contributions and influence of Hispanic-Americans to the history, culture and achievements of the United States.

When is Hispanic Heritage Month? 

Hispanic Heritage Month runs annually from September 15 through October 15.

September 15 was selected as the kickoff date, since it coincides with the Independence Day anniversaries of five Central American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.  These countries declared independence from Spain on September 15, 1821.  Mexico, Chile and Belize also celebrate independence days in September.

When did Hispanic Heritage Month begin? 

Hispanic Heritage Week was signed into law on September 17, 1968 by President Lyndon B. Johnson.  It was expanded into a Month in 1988 by President Ronald Reagan.  Since then, all presidents have given a Presidential Proclamation to mark Hispanic Heritage Month.

Why is Hispanic Heritage Month significant to the United States? 

The Hispanic population in the United States constitutes 18.5% of the total population.  There are 60.6 million people of Hispanic origin living in the U.S. today.  This makes Hispanic-Americans the largest minority group in the country.  Furthermore, only Mexico has a larger Hispanic population.  Hispanic Heritage Month recognizes and honors the culture and history that has significantly contributed to American culture, including sports, art, music, entertainment, politics, and cuisine.

Ways to celebrate the Hispanic Heritage Month and the Hispanic culture: 

Visit these websites for more information on Hispanic Heritage Month: 

Check out our books about Hispanic-Americans:

Visit our catalog and place your hold on any of these books featuring Hispanic-Americans.

Kelly

Kelly is a librarian at the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County. As the Adult Programming Specialist, her focus is bringing adults the library programs they love.  (Kids can’t have ALL the fun!).  She reads strictly nonfiction and picture books.  She believes that anything you could ever need or want is located somewhere in the library.  Including friends.

This press release was produced by the Public Library of Youngstown & Mahoning County. The views expressed here are the author’s own.