Just as African Americans have Black History Month in February, Hispanics have National Hispanic Heritage Month. However, the month begins in the middle of a month on Sept. 15 and ends Oct. 15. For many Latin American countries such as Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, Sept. 15 commemorates the anniversary of their independence.
Approximately 44 million Hispanic people are living in the United States. The Hispanic population continues to grow.
National Hispanic Heritage Month began as a weeklong celebration under the administration of President Lyndon B. Johnson. On Aug. 17, 1988, President Gerald Ford passed a law that turned National Hispanic Week into National Hispanic Month.
Hispanics are persons of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central and South American cultures or other Spanish descent. With so many cultures contained under one category, it is rare to hear of the accomplishments that Hispanics have contributed to this country.
Gen. Bernardo de Galvez, Spanish governor of the Louisiana Territory, sent money, rifles, blankets, and medicine to Gen. George Washington during the Revolutionary War. Latinos also raised money to aid the colonies’ fight for independence. Many Latinos also fought War World II and the Gulf War.
Several cities have names that reflect Hispanic influence, such as, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Santa Fe, and San Antonio. Dr. Severo Ochoa was the first to discover how to synthesize RNA, an organic compound that carries hereditary material in all reproduction. As a result, Ochoa won a Nobel Prize.
Dr. Micheal Brookshaw, Winston-Salem State Spanish professor, says it is extremely important for people from other ethnicities to acknowledge and celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month.
“Many people do not realize that the Hispanic culture is tied into our culture through a variety of Hispanic extractions. They are also not aware that their own lineage may include people who have migrated to America and are of the Hispanic heritage.”
“National [Hispanic] Heritage Month,” said junior Annabell Romero, “is just as important to me as Black History Month is to African Americans.”