Growing up Latinx, there was one thing that was never taught much growing up: our history. Often times, we learned about the successes of other, often white, individuals over and over as opposed to divulging into the diversities that are history.
So, when is Hispanic Heritage month? It starts September 15 and ends October 15 and was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968. September 15 was chosen specifically as six Latin American countries–Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Honduras–celebrate their independence on this day. The prime purpose of this 30-day period is to do what our textbooks and classrooms fail to do: talk about Hispanic heritage. From the cultural norms to revolutionary individuals to food, it’s important to share and bring light to what we are.
Celebrating Hispanic heritage is crucial in today’s day and age. The persecution and criminalization of such a large group of individuals is unjust, by any means. We are well-distinguished people who have done so much throughout history. We laugh, dance, celebrate, and love life just like everyone else — though, it might just be in a different language.
We are Nobel Prize winners like Luis W. Alvarez, civil rights activists like Dolores Huerta, performers like Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, and service members like Major Marco Martinez. It is important to recognize that Latinx history and Hispanic history is, at the end of the day, American history. We are multifaceted individuals and it is time that we engage with those by telling our story.