Brief History: Hispanic Heritage Month
At the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month, we at Franco Law shared a few Latinx businesses that we felt highlighted some of our favorite entrepreneurs so that you could support them over the month. Now that we are near the end of the celebration, we thought it was important to share some of the historical contexts for Hispanic Heritage Month.
Hispanic Heritage Month was once known as Hispanic Heritage Week. The week to commemorate the U.S. Latinx and Hispanic communities was introduced in June of 1968 by Congressman George E. Brown. He represented a congressional district in East Los Angeles, which has a large population of Hispanic and Latin identifying persons. Brown wanted to recognize the Latinx contributions to American History.
On September 17, 1968, congress passed an official request for the president to issue an annual proclamation declaring September 15 as the beginning of “National Heritage Week.” Lyndon B. Johnson passed it the same day. Under President George H. W. Bush, the recognition changed to National Hispanic Heritage Month. This victorious month was into law August 17, 1988, and it has remained split between the two autumn months ever since. The mid-month initiation and festivities are confusing, but our government had good reason to break it between September and October.
The 15th of September was selected as the start date to commemorate the independence of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua from the imperial powers of Spain on September 15, 1821. Mexico celebrates its independence on September 16, and Chile celebrates its independence on September 18. Día de la Raza, better know as Columbus Day in the United States, is a now polarized day.
Depending on the country, people might celebrate the fusion of indigenous and Spanish cultures on the same day that Columbus landed in the Americas. Other countries feel differently. In Venezuela and Nicaragua, it is called Día de la Resistencia. The name change acknowledges the struggle that indigenous Venezuelans and Nicaraguans faced for the centuries following Columbus’s arrival. As you can see, this is a significant time for many Central and South Americans!
Why does any of this matter? Regardless of your identity, you are likely in the United States of America if you’re reading Franco Law blog. The Hispanic and Latinx identifying population has the most significant growth rate in our country. According to Pew Research Institute, of the near 23 million people who became Americans from 2010 to 2020, 51% were Latinx! And our growth does not show any signs of slowing down either. In fact, in California, Hispanic and Latin people have become the largest racial group.
At Franco Law, we are proud of our Hispanic and Latin roots. We are a bilingual law firm. Manuel Franco has been serving the Tampa Bay area for years and is skilled in winning back your right to compensation for workplace injuries, social security, and personal injury. If you, or someone you know, could use our services, please feel free to call us at (813) 872-0929 to schedule a free consultation so you can get the compensation you deserve!
