Each year, from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, the United States celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month. This observance highlights the history, culture, and contributions of U.S. citizens of Latin American heritage.
National Hispanic Heritage Month originated from President Lyndon B. Johnson’s proclamation on Hispanic Heritage Week in 1968 and was expanded to a month by President Ronald Reagan in 1988. The rationale behind this expansion was to include the independence anniversaries of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua (Sept. 15), Mexico (Sept. 16), and Chile (Sept. 18).
After analyzing census data, the Pew Research Center estimated a 19% increase in the Latino population in the U.S. in 2021, rising to 62.5 million. The need for cultural understanding is evident, with the Latino population representing a large part of the nation’s growing diversity. This observance fosters cultural understanding, as it encourages people of all backgrounds to learn about and embrace the contributions of the Latino community, such as Latino arts, food, traditions, notable leaders, and more.
While this month celebrates achievements and contributions, it also presents the Latino community’s challenges. Recognizing their strength and determination to overcome adversity historically and currently is imperative. Discrimination, access to housing and healthcare, and job loss due to economic impacts are detrimental challenges, which is why this observance encourages dialogue and advocacy. It's of the utmost importance for all U.S. citizens to come together in solidarity to show support and advocate for change.
To learn more about Latino heritage and history in the U.S., check out the curated list of library books below.
New and Emerging Issues in Latinx Health by Airín D. Martínez (Editor); Scott D. Rhodes (Editor)
ISBN: 9783030240424
Publication Date: 2019
This volume is being published at a critical time in U.S. history and serves as a comprehensive and much-needed update to what is known about Latinx health. As both the United States and Latinx subgroups experience demographic shifts, it is critical to examine the current epidemiology of Latinx health, as well as the factors influencing the health and well-being of this growing population.
LatinX Voices: Hispanics in Media in the U.S. by Katie Coronado (Editor); Erica Kight (Editor)
ISBN: 9781315284125
Publication Date: 2018
LatinX Voices is the first undergraduate textbook that includes an overview of Hispanic/LatinX Media in the U.S. and gives readers an understanding of how media in the United States has transformed around this audience.
Latino Voices: Mexican, Puerto Rican, and Cuban Perspectives on American Politics by Rodolfo O. de la Garza
ISBN: 9780429695797
Publication Date: 2019
This book provides basic information about the political values, attitudes, and behaviors of Mexican-, Puerto Rican-, and Cuban-origin populations in the United States. It describes the extent to which U.S. citizens of Hispanic origins hold particular views and participate in specific activities.
Conversations Across Our America: Talking about Immigration and the Latinoization of the United States by Louis G. Mendoza
ISBN: 9780292737396
Publication Date: 2012
In the summer of 2007, Louis G. Mendoza set off on a bicycle trip across the United States with the intention of conducting a series of interviews along the way. Wanting to move beyond the media's limited portrayal of immigration as a conflict between newcomers and "citizens," he began speaking with people from all walks of life about their views on Latino immigration. The resulting collection offers conversations with forty-three different people who speak of how they came to be here and why they made the journey.
Hispanic Spaces, Latino Places: Community and Cultural Diversity in Contemporary America by Daniel D. Arreola (Editor)
ISBN: 9780292797444
Publication Date: 2021
Hispanics/Latinos are the largest ethnic minority in the United States, but they are far from being a homogenous group. In fact, the only characteristic shared by all Hispanics/Latinos in the United States is birth or ancestry in a Spanish-speaking country. In this book, sixteen geographers and two sociologists map the regional and cultural diversity of the Hispanic/Latino population of the United States.
Latinos and the Nation's Future by Henry G. Cisneros
ISBN: 9781611922004
Publication Date: 2009
Whether the predominant ethnic group in baseball, the "swing vote" in various elections, or the people who introduced one of the country's most popular condiments, salsa, it is clear that the influence of Latinos is widespread and growing each year. The Census Bureau estimates that Latinos will grow by 63 million people--or a stunning 48% of total growth--to make up 25% of the United States population by 2050.
Dictionary of Latino Civil Rights History by F. Arturo Rosales
ISBN: 9781611920390
Publication Date: 2006
From the Alianza Hispano-Americana, a mutual aid society founded in Tucson, Arizona in 1894, to the Zoot Suit Riots in Los Angeles in 1943, this first-ever dictionary of important issues in the U.S. Latino struggle for civil rights defines a wide-ranging list of key terms. With over 922 entries on significant events, figures, laws, and other historical items, this ground-breaking reference work covers the fight for equality from the mid-nineteenth century to the present by the various Hispanic groups in the U.S.
Caring for and Understanding Latinx Patients in Health Care Settings by 
New and Emerging Issues in Latinx Health by 
LatinX Voices: Hispanics in Media in the U.S. by 
Latino Voices: Mexican, Puerto Rican, and Cuban Perspectives on American Politics by 
Hispanic Spaces, Latino Places: Community and Cultural Diversity in Contemporary America by 
Latinos and the Nation's Future by 
Dictionary of Latino Civil Rights History by 
Latino Leaders Speak: Personal Stories of Struggle and Triumph by 
A Translational Turn: Latinx Literature into the Mainstream by