Austin Celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month

By Sumaiya Malik

National Hispanic Heritage Month which started September 15 still has two more weeks into October.

During this month we formally and completely recognize and celebrate the contributions, cultures, and resilience of our Hispanic, Latinx and Latino-identified community members.

National Hispanic Heritage Month, first proclaimed as a month of commemoration in 1989, has its origins in National Hispanic Heritage week.

The day of September 15 is significant because it is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua.

In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September 18, respectively.

Día de la Raza, which is October 12, also falls within this 30-day period.

In 2019 the U.S. Hispanic population reached a record high of 60.6 million, up by nearly a million from the previous year according to U.S. Census Bureau population estimates.

In fact, in the last decade, the Latinx share of the country’s total population increased 2 percent from 16 percent to 18 percent, accounting for more than 50 percent of all U.S. population growth.

They’re now the country’s second largest racial or ethnic group, following white non-Hispanics. (thehill.com)