Welcome to Hispanic Heritage Month, a time to celebrate the history, diversity, achievements and contributions of Latinos whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. This year’s recognition theme, Together, We Are More, pays tribute to community strength, shared values and the collective impact of Hispanic and Latino Americans.
September 15 marks Independence Day for five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Mexico celebrates its independence on September 16 and Chile on September 18.
To be clear, the word Hispanic is generally a linguistic category, referring to people from the 21 Spanish-speaking countries and territories, including Spain. Latino is more of an ethnic and cultural category, describing people descended from Latin America, including Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Cuba and Central and South America. Which term people use to describe themselves is a personal choice.
Continue reading September: National Hispanic Heritage Month – Terry Howard