The Origins and Meaning Behind Hispanic Heritage Month

A Rutgers Latino and Caribbean studies expert explains the history and shares ways to observe the month

Hispanic Heritage Month, which begins Sept. 15, is a time to recognize, honor and celebrate the cultures and contributions of the Hispanic and Latin communities in America. We spoke with K. Sebastian León,  an associate professor of Latino and Caribbean studies and criminal justice at the School of Arts and Sciences at Rutgers-New Brunswick, to learn more about the significance of the month.  

Why is Hispanic Heritage Month observed from Sept. 15-Oct. 15 instead of having a dedicated calendar month like many other heritage celebrations?

Hispanic Heritage Month, or HHM, began in 1968 as a week-long observance around the independence day celebrations of several Central American countries including  Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, and Honduras. In the 1980s, it was expanded to 30 days, incorporating Columbus Day, or Dia de la Raza as it’s commonly called in South American contexts, and Indigenous Peoples’ Day as is more commonly recognized today.

HHM offers an important opportunity to reflect, celebrate and participate in rich traditions and engage with myriad forms of artistic, culinary and social expression. One of the most exciting things about HHM is that in a country as big and diverse as the United States, it is celebrated and experienced according to the local and regional influences of the Hispanic/Latino population.

Hispanic is a broad term. What cultures and countries are celebrated this month?

Hispanic is a term that has a lot of fluidity and variation in usage. For instance, the use of the term Hispanic varies considerably by geography, with places like the southeast United States, especially Florida, using it more regularly. For many contemporary readers and writers, it is common to see Hispanic entirely dropped from everyday use and replaced by iterations of Latina; Latino; Latin@; Latina/o/x, Latinx, and so on.

What’s the difference between Hispanic and Latino?

There is no universal way to use the word Hispanic, but the term traditionally invoked Spanish-speaking populations in the western hemisphere.

HHM is less of a Pan-American phenomenon and more associated with Spanish-speaking cultures in the western hemisphere, which artificially separates interconnected societies and regions from, say, Caribbean and Latin American communities that are English-speaking, French-speaking, or Portuguese-speaking in language and culture. It’s why the Dominican Republic is invoked in HHM, but Haiti is typically not. It’s why Brazil and Brazilian communities in the U.S. might not readily “fit” or see themselves in the common depictions associated with HHM.

How do you observe this month? Are there any special traditions you follow or any special way you mark the month with others?

In my own personal way, the spirit of HHM shows up for me every spring during the Rites of Passage graduation ceremony at Jersey Mike’s Arena. For graduating seniors who identify as Black and/or Latinx, it is a special experience and an invaluable event that Rutgers offers for its students and their families.

Like many of my colleagues, I also use the month as an inviting platform for connecting to the courses and seminars that we might be teaching during the fall.

What are some opportunities, programs or events at Rutgers to mark Hispanic Heritage Month?

The Center for Latino Arts and Culture offers a range of social and educational events and programs during HHM, with a Welcome to La Familia celebration planned for Sunday, Sept. 15.

My department, Latino and Caribbean Studies, also regularly co-sponsors events for the Rutgers community during the year. Right now, we have a self-guided exhibit on the 50+ year history of Latino and Caribbean Studies at Rutgers. Come visit us on the second floor of Lucy Stone Hall, Livingston Campus, to learn about the student activists who helped create one of the very first Puerto Rican studies programs in the country, and whose efforts resulted in the genesis of a department that, today, is a national leader for research and pedagogy in Latino and Caribbean studies.

Is there anything else you would like people to know about the month?

The Department of Latino and Caribbean Studies offers a range of courses that are available to non-majors. And for a small sample of the kind of expertise and scholarship represented by our department, check out our faculty bookshelf. For a data-driven, accessible overview of the constantly evolving Hispanic/Latino category, I highly recommend these articles from the Pew Research Center on Latinos in America and who is considered Hispanic in America today.