The celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month takes place from September 15th to October 15th. The month-long event commemorates and advocates for the inclusion and representation of Americans whose ancestry includes those from the countries of Mexico, Spain, Central America, and South America. President Lyndon B. Johnson proposed the original Hispanic Heritage Week in 1968, and it was officially recognized as a month-long national event in 1988. Its adoption helps to advance awareness and appreciation of the diverse contributions made by Hispanic and Latino/Latina/Latinx individuals both to American culture and history as well as to a worldwide audience.
The theme for the 2024 celebration is Pioneers of Change: Shaping the Future Together, chosen by the voting body of the National Council of Hispanic Employment Program Managers because it "encapsulates the spirit of innovation, resilience, and unity that define the Hispanic experience."
For background on Hispanic Heritage Month, the Library of Congress has provided a rich resource filled with links to media, history, and law resources related to Hispanic Heritage Month. Here at KSL, this guide provides links as well as descriptions of our own resources related to the celebration of Hispanic & Latino/a/Latinx culture and life.
Note: We recognize that there are multiple preferred spellings and iterations of Hispanic as well as Latino/a and Latinx. Although this may not be representative of all preferences, this guide uses all of the above to recognize gender, sexuality, ethnicity, and language to be as inclusive as possible. This model has been drawn from the University of California, Merced Campus's research guide.