National Hispanic Heritage Month: Ideas for Educators
National Hispanic Heritage Month honors the achievements, contributions, culture, and history of Hispanic and Latino American people. The month-long celebration begins on September 15 commemorating the anniversary of independence for five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua.
Origins of National Hispanic Heritage Month
The commemoration kicked off in 1968 as a week-long event. It expanded to four weeks in 1988 to reflect Mexico's, Chile's and Belize's Independence days and now ends October 15.
Hispanic Population Facts
The Latino population reached 57.5 million people (or 18%) in the U.S. in 2016. There was a 2% growth rate from 2015 to 2016, and the Latino population has reached a new high. Over the last few years, the growth of the Latino community has slowed.
Celebrate Latinx History Year-Round
National Hispanic Heritage Month is an excellent time to explore the rich history and culture of Latinx people as well as the societal bias the community faces. As with other similarly themed months, it is wise not to isolate the exploration of Latinx history and culture into one month during the year. Remember, Latino history is American history. Integrating it into the curriculum throughout the school year makes good sense.
Below is a list of PreK-12 curriculum and other resources to bring the themes of Hispanic Heritage Month to your schools and classrooms.
