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Hispanic Heritage Month is an annual event (September 15 - October 15) that celebrates the various achievements of Hispanic people across the United States. If you want to celebrate Hispanic culture as an ally, or if you are Hispanic-American yourself, here are some ways to celebrate this event.

1

Understand what the term "Hispanic" means.

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  1. Remember to use the term "Hispanic" appropriately! Many people use the words "Latin-American" (or "Latino", "Latina", or "Latinx") and "Hispanic" interchangeably. They actually mean slightly different things:
    • The term Latin-American describes people who came from Latin-American countries (or have relatives and ancestors who came from those countries). This includes the regions of Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. It also includes Latin-American countries that use Portuguese as an official language, such as Brazil. [1] [2]
    • The term Hispanic describes people with heritage from a Spanish-speaking country in Latin America, or from Spain in Europe. [3]
    • Not every Hispanic person is Latino and not every Latino person is Hispanic. For example, a person of Spanish ethnicity born in Spain is Hispanic, but not Latino. Likewise, a person of Brazilian ethnicity would be Latino and not Hispanic, since the official language of Brazil is Portuguese .
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2

Read up on the origins of the event.

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  1. Use credible websites when searching for the history of the event. In June of 1968, George E. Brown began the tradition of celebrating Hispanic Americans by creating a commemorative week for them. American president Lyndon B. Johnson signed the law, declaring that September 15 be the start of Hispanic Heritage month. [4] Later, President Ronald Reagan made the celebration a month long, lasting until October 15. [5]
    • The event started on September 15 because multiple Central American countries (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua) have their independence day on this day. Mexico and Chile have their independence days on September 16th and September 18th, making the time frame suitable for most Latin-American countries. [6]
4

Check out educational websites about famous people of Hispanic heritage.

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  1. Read about famous Hispanic people to increase your knowledge of Hispanic culture. Websites like Google Arts and Culture, BrainPOP, and PBS are great ways to increase your knowledge in the celebration. For example, Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta fought for better working conditions for migrant workers in the United States. [9] [10] Ellen Ochoa became the first Latina to go to space in 1993 aboard the space shuttle Discovery . [11]  Other famous Hispanic people include:
    • Sonia Sotomayor (born 1954): a Puerto Rican lawyer who became the first Latina Supreme Court justice, nominated by President Barack Obama in 2009 [12]
    • Jean-Michel Basquiat (born 1960, died 1988): an artist of Haitian and Puerto Rican descent whose paintings described subjects such as poverty and racism [13]
    • Selena Quintanilla (born 1971, died 1995): a Mexican-American singer who popularized the Tejano music style in the late 20th century [14]
7

Look at artwork and books created by Hispanic people.

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  1. Look at art made by Hispanic-Americans. This will help you understand their culture more.
    • Some books written by Hispanic-Americans include: The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Márquez, "Esperanza Rising" by Pam Muñoz Ryan, and "Poet X" by Elizabeth Acevedo. [17]
    • Kids, tweens, and teens can read up on books written by Hispanic-Americans too! Some age-appropriate books include Furia" by Yamile Saied Méndez, "Merci Suárez Changes Gears" by Meg Medina, and "Too Many Tamales" by Gary Soto. [18]
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8

Listen to music by Hispanic or Latin-American artists.

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  1. Enjoy tunes from Hispanic and Latin-American artists! Music is a way to bring people of various cultures together. If you enjoy listening to music, try broadening your perspective by listening to artists of Hispanic or Latin-American heritage. Many of these artists are well-known in their respective countries as well as across the globe. Some Hispanic artists include: [19] [20]
    • Celia Cruz (b. 1925 - d. 2003)
    • Vicente Fernández (b. 1940 - d. 2021)
    • Julio Iglesias (b. 1943)
    • Gloria Estefan (b. 1957)
    • Irene Cara (b. 1959 - d. 2022)
    • Jennifer Lopez (b. 1969)
    • Luis Miguel (b. 1970)
    • Selena Quintanilla (b. 1971 - d. 1995)
    • Juanes (b. 1972)
    • Enrique Iglesias (b. 1975)
    • Shakira (b. 1977)
    • Christina Aguilera (b. 1980)
    • Selena Gomez (b. 1992)

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