The U.S. Census Bureau identifies Hispanic or Latino Americans from the parts of the world that they or their ancestors originate. This could be Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Spain, or the nations of Central or South America. It is estimated that as of July 1, 2021, there were about 62.6 million Hispanics living in the United States. This represents 18.9% of the total U.S. population, making those of Hispanic origin the nation's largest ethnic or racial minority.

The origins of this celebration began in 1968 when it was known as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson. It was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period starting on September 15 and ending on October 15 and was officially enacted as a law that same year.

The date of September 15 was chosen as the first day of this celebratory month because it is the anniversary of the independence of five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. On September 16 and 18, Mexico and Chile, respectively, celebrate their independence. 

Photo by Dnessa Franklin on Unsplash