It’s Time to Celebrate Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month!

Happy Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month! This Thursday, September 15th, is the beginning of Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month. The celebration goes until October 15th and was first recognized as a national celebration on August 17, 1988. It was created to coincide with several Independence Days, such as September 15 for Latin American countries El Salvador, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Honduras.

It began as a way of celebrating Hispanic and Latinx countries of Spain, Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Spanish-speaking nations of the Caribbean. This time is dedicated to uplift historical Hispanic and Latinx American figures and cultural traditions such as food, music, and holidays. 

This year’s theme is “Unidos: Inclusivity for a Stronger Nation” to emphasize the importance of representing and appreciating the diverse perspectives of Latinx and Hispanic communities. These communities make up the largest minority population in the United States (61.2 million).

Hispanic and Latinx populations have less access to health care, worse health impacts, and increased rates of disease because of the effects of climate change. According to the Psychiatric Times, one report found that over half of “the US Hispanic/Latinx population resided in states with the highest levels of climate change threats, such as air pollution, extreme heat, and flooding.” 

We encourage you to celebrate by supporting your local Latinx and Hispanic businesses, uplifting the voices of Latinx and Hispanic communities, and addressing the climate crisis with our Latinx neighbors in mind. For more suggestions on how you can observe this month, please visit this link!