Latinx Heritage Month
By: Sam Barrett
Many people from all over Indiana, and the U.S., celebrated and observed Latinx Heritage Month this year with festivities, food, music, family, and friends. This 31-day observance is a time to educate ourselves and others on the history of Latinx contributions, rich history, and culture. As Latinx Heritage Month comes to a close, we want to take a moment to reflect on the history of this celebratory month and why we celebrate it.
Every year America is filled with color, music, and celebrations as we observe Latinx Heritage Month from September 15th to October 15th. This celebration started as Hispanic Heritage Week in 1968 under President Lyndon Johnson. In 1987 U.S. Representative Esteban E. Torres of California proposed expanding the celebration to cover its current 31-day period. Torres wanted more time so that the nation could “properly observe and coordinate events and activities to celebrate Hispanic culture and achievement,” In 1988, Senator Paul Simon, submitted a similar bill that was signed into law by President Ronald Reagan on August 17th, 1988. And on September 14th, 1989, President George H.W. Bush became the first president to declare the 31-day period from September 15th to October 15th as National Hispanic Heritage Month, according to History.com.
The first day of Latinx Heritage Month is September 15th, which is a significant day to many in hispanic and latinx culture. The 15th of September is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16th and September 18th as well. Día de la Raza, which is October 12th, falls within this 31 day period. Día de la Raza, or Day of the Race, is important to many people of hispanic heritage or culture, because it is a time for Mexico, Central America, and South America to celebrate and honor their ethnic diversity and similarities of beginnings, traditions, and language.
There are many great people of hispanic and/or latinx heritage that have contributed to and influenced the world, especially many great Hispanic and/or Latinx women. Being a woman in today’s world is hard enough, today, we want to take a moment to acknowledge some great Hispanic and/or Latinx women that have made a huge impact on the world.
Ellen Ochoa made her mark on the world by becoming the first Hispanic-American woman to go to space with a nine-day mission in 1993. She obtained her physics degree from San Diego State University and later her masters and doctorate from Stanford University. Through her impressive research work, NASA selected Ochoa in 1991 and she became an astronaut in July of that year. Two years later, Ochoa made history on board the Space Shuttle Discovery on a mission to study the Earth’s ozone layer. She later completed three more missions.
Sonia Sotomayor was the first Hispanic American to serve as a member of the Supreme Court. Sotomayor graduated valedictorian at her high school and earned a full scholarship to Princeton University. She graduated in 1976 and continued her education at Yale Law School and graduated in 1979, earning her acceptance to the New York Bar the next year. Finally, in 1991 President George H. W. Bush nominated Sotomayor to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. She was also nominated to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit by President Bill Clinton in 1997, making history!
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is the youngest Hispanic American and person ever to be elected into the House of Representatives. After graduating college in 2011, Ocasio-Cortez returned to the Bronx, where she was born, and later campaigned for Senator Bernie Sanders in the 2016 democratic primary. Soon after she decided to run for office. Ocasio-Cortez eventually challenged Democratic incumbent Joe Crowley, the first to do so since 2004, and pulled off a surprise primary win in June 2018. She once again won her primary in June 2020, all but ensuring her return to Congress for a second term after the general election in November.
Alexis Gonzalez is another inspiring Hispanic American who is actually a Hoosier herself! Gonzalez is the Director of the Indiana Commission on Hispanic and Latino Affairs. She was born and raised in Valparaiso, Indiana by her mother and father who immigrated from Guadalajara, Mexico. Gonzalez double majored in political science and psychology to earn her bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota, she continues to work towards racial and social equality today.
Rita Moreno captivated audiences with her performance in 1961 of West Side Story’s Anita, and has been a household name ever since. Moreno went on to be awarded the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role, becoming the first Hispanic-American woman ever to win it.
These women have made such a great impact on the world and continue to inspire many people today. As previously mentioned, Latinx Heritage Month is a great opportunity for communities and individuals to celebrate and learn more about Hispanic/Latinx culture and history. With today being the last day of Latinx Heritage Month, we hope that you enjoyed this educational piece and learned a little something about Hispanic/Latinx history, and we hope you enjoyed Latinx Heritage Month!