From September 15th through October 15th each year, we honor Hispanic heritage by celebrating our students' rich history and culture with ties to Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.
Enacted first by President Lyndon Johnson in 1968 as a week-long celebration, President and former governor of California, Ronald Regan eventually expanded it in 1988 to a 30-day period to highlight important moments in Hispanic history.
The 30-day time period from September 15 through October 15 covers a series of independence days for Latin American countries:
September 15 - Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, & Nicaragua
September 16 - Mexico
September 18 - Chile
September 21 - Belize
Hispanic and Latinos history interlaces with American history, as they have fought in the American Revolution as well as every war since then. Hispanic cultural influence can be found everywhere from literature to culinary arts, from baseball fields to Latin rhythms in Jazz music.
Here are five ways you incorporate the holiday in your classroom for the month-long celebration.
Explore books written by Hispanic authors. Enrich your reading lessons by introducing books penned by Hispanic authors.
Take a spin around the globe and give your students a mini geography lesson on a few well-known Spanish-speaking countries.
Help Hispanic students feel seen by incorporating traditional decorations throughout your school reflective of the diverse Hispanic cultures.
Embark on a virtual tour. From the home of renowned Mexican artist Frida Kahlo to the National Museum of the American Latino, students can explore how important figures contributed to the landscape of American culture and politics.
Highlight the diverse flavors of Latino cuisines by collaborating with local restaurants to explore these rich cultures.
A Wealth of Information
Incredible information can be found on a variety of educational websites that will help you to bring Latin-American heritage into your schools. Explore to find out how you can include more Hispanic heritage into your subject areas all year long:
U.S. Dept. of Education’s National Hispanic Heritage Month Site
Smithsonian’s Hispanic Heritage Month Site
National Museum of the American Latino (in construction)
National Archives Hispanic Heritage Month