Hispanic Heritage Month
Hispanic Heritage Month began as a way to promote the history, culture and contribution of Hispanic-Americans – specifically those whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, Central and South America as well a the Caribbean. The month celebrated with a variety of activities including concerts, parades, art exhibits and other festivals and educational events. The theme for 2022 is Unidos: Inclusivity for a Stronger Nation.
This month continues to take on strong influence in the US due to the tightly woven histories of music, food, art and literature in US culture and to the fact that Hispanic and Latino Americans make up approximately 18% of the total US population – making up the largest ethnic minority in the US. California is the state with the largest Hispanic population at over 14 million people.
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Education
For Adults:
For Kids:
Division Spotlights
Trailblazers
- Oscar Hijuelos: author of “The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love, was the first Hispanic writer to win a Pulitzer Prize for fiction.
- Dolores Huerta: co-founder of the United Farm Workers, worked to improve the working conditions of farm workers. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012.
- Roberto Clemente: the first Latino to wear a World Series ring as a starting player. Clemente’s legacy is more than his achievements on the baseball field: he was a humanitarian who worked to give back to his community hosting free baseball clinics for youth in his native Puerto Rico.
- Roberto Crispulo Goizueta: Cuban-born American businessman who was the first Hispanic CEO of a Fortune 500 company
- Mario Molina: a Mexican born chemist was a co-recipient of a Nobel prize for his research that warned of the danders associated with chemicals used in aerosols and refrigerators.
- Dr. Helen Rodríguez-Trías – a leading public health advocate for children from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds in New York City. She pioneered the standards of care that became the nationwide model for HIV/AIDS treatment. In 1003 she became the first Hispanic woman to lead the American Health Association.
Ways to Recognize Hispanic Heritage Month
- Support Hispanic Influencers – Like an influencer’s content and subscribe to their channels
- Hold your own Spanish language film festival
- Learn a new game – Loteria is Mexico’s version of Bingo
- Learn Spanish with your team
- Create a Hispanic Heritage Month play list – 50 Latin Classics
- Listen to a Hispanic-led Podcast
