Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage

Latinx Heritage Month is celebrated each year from September 15 to October 15. It celebrates the culture and recognizes the contributions made by those whose ancestors came from Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, South America and Spain.

The Hispanic Heritage observance began in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period starting on September 15 and ending on October 15. It was enacted into law on August 17, 1988, on the approval of Public Law 100-402.

You may remember this month referred to as Hispanic or Latino/a Heritage Month in the past. YGS has adopted the term “Latinx” rather than Hispanic or Latino to represent the identities of non-binary, gender non-conforming and gender-expansive people. “Latinx” also centers the lives of indigenous, Brazilian and other non-Spanish speaking people in this celebration.

Esperanza – Celebrate Latinx Heritage Month 2021

This Latinx Heritage month, we would like to celebrate the cultures, contributions and resilience of Latinx, Hispanic and Latino-identified communities around the world. The theme for this year’s month is Esperanza: A celebration of Hispanic & Latinx heritage, community building and hope, inspired by Ms. Adriana Castillo, and Ms. Eliana De León, winners of the 2021 National Hispanic Heritage Month poster contest.

This theme invites us to celebrate Latinx and Hispanic Heritage and to reflect on the great challenges endured and overcome this past year, and resilience and hope for our collective tomorrow. As we consider the theme of Esperanza, we acknowledge the challenges of the past year, and acknowledge the disparate impact of COVID-19 on Washington’s Latinx population who endured [higher rate of COVID-19 transmission and lower rates of vaccination. We are all in this together and only together can beat this virus, recover, and find our next normal.