Latinx Heritage Month

Latinx Heritage Month (also widely called Hispanic American Heritage Month) celebrates the history, diverse cultures, achievements and contributions of Latinos and Latinas whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. 

The first nationally recognized Hispanic heritage observation came in 1968 with a weeklong commemoration. The recognition was expanded in 1988 to 30 days, from September 15 – October 15. The 2024 heritage month theme is Pioneers of Change: Shaping the Future Together. 

September 15 is significant because it is Independence Day for the Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, while Mexico celebrates independence on September 16 and Chile on September 18. 

Indigenous People’s Day and Día de la Raza are celebrated by many Spanish-speaking countries during this time as well.

Did you know?

• The word Hispanic is generally a linguistic category, referring to people from the 21 Spanish-speaking countries and territories, including Spain. The word Latino is more of an ethnic and cultural category, used to describe people who are descendants from Latin America, including Mexico, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Cuba, Central and South America. 

• It is often a personal choice which term people use to describe themselves. Read: Yes, We’re Calling It Hispanic Heritage Month And We Know It Makes Some Of You Cringe (NPR).

• Latine and Latinx are gender-neutral terms recently popularized to describe people that originate from Latin America (Latine is the more grammatically correct) because gendered Spanish words offer no option for those who identify as non-binary.

• Not all whose heritage hails from Central or Latin America speak Spanish as a first or even second language. Portuguese is spoken in Brazil, and French is the official language in some Caribbean nations. Many indigenous languages are spoken in these regions as well.

Learn more

Listen: Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month: Tunes to celebrate (NC State Technician) 

Learn: 10 Great TED Talks by Hispanic and Latinx Speakers for Hispanic Heritage Month (TED Talks)

Explore: There are more than 50 National Parks that have Latinx connections celebrating more than 500 years of heritage (National Park Service)

Discover: Who You Calling ‘Hispanic’? (NPR Code Switch) and Why Do We Say Latino? (PBS)

Read: This list of recommended reading compiled by NC State Libraries for Latinx Heritage Month.