Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage

Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month is celebrated each year from September 15 to October 15. The celebration honors the culture and recognizes the contributions made by those whose ancestors came from Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, South America, and Spain. Our President and CEO, Loria Yeadon, has a special message in honor of this year's theme: "Navigating Hispanic & Latinx Labels," featuring special guests, YMCA of Greater Seattle Chief Administrative and Branch Officer, Liz Toledo, and a few of our Hispanic and Latinx colleagues.

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, with the approval of Public Law 100-402.

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

Navigating Hispanic & Latinx Labels – Celebrate Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month 2022

This Hispanic and Latinx Heritage month, join the Y and a diverse panel in a meaningful lunch and learn as we assess how labels define and divide us. And how simplifying the complex and diverse Latinx/Hispanic diaspora ensures that racism becomes embedded institutionally and structurally. Together, we can explore how to disrupt the systems and policies which ignore and harm the diversity of the Hispanic and Latinx communities—and how we can reclaim and redefine labels.

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