Hispanic Heritage Month—also known as Latinx Heritage Month—is coming up. Here’s everything you need to know about the annual celebration.
The 2020 Census found that there were approximately 62 million Hispanic, Latino, and Latino Americans living in the United States. With people from Latin nations making up such a large portion of the population, it’s no wonder that an entire month is dedicated to honoring the Latino diaspora.
What is Latino Heritage Month? How did it start?
Latinx Heritage Month is celebrated annually in the US from September 15th to October 15th. The annual celebration honors the histories, cultures and contributions of Hispanic Americans.
What is the difference between Latinx, Hispanic and Latino?
Hispanic refers to people from Spanish countries once colonized by Spain (Hispanic) and Spain itself. This includes Mexico, most of South and Central America, and the Spanish-speaking Caribbean.
However, it does not refer to all countries once colonized by the Spanish Empire. For example, Filipinos are not considered Hispanic by the US government because the Philippines is not a predominantly Spanish-speaking nation. Brazil is excluded because it used to be a Portuguese territory, not a Spanish one.
The term “Hispanic” is often criticized because it defines the identity of all peoples colonized by their colonizers. It ignores the obvious cultural similarities with other Spanish territories and Latin countries born of Iberian imperialism. Moreover, it erases the indigenous or mixed roots of the colonized people and excludes many indigenous peoples who will never identify with Spanish culture or speak Spanish, but who lived in the so-called Spanish territories long before the presence of Spain .
Latino is shorthand for the Spanish and Portuguese word Latin America, according to Encyclopedia Britannica. It broadly unites all countries in Latin America (South America, Central America, the Spanish-speaking Caribbean and Mexico), including Brazil, to create a common cultural identity.
Latinx (and Latin) expands further on the Latin as a gender-neutral version of the term. It is thought to be more inclusive of LGBTQ people, especially non-binary members of the Latino community. Some members of the community consider the “x” as “stripping us of our Latinidad,” but others have embraced Latinx as a means of reclaiming their history and culture and rejecting the colonization of their countries.
Whether someone identifies as Hispanic, Latino, or Latino, they can be of any race. The best way to find out how someone identifies is by asking politely. Most people from Latin America describe themselves as the nationality of their family (Puerto Rican, Bolivian, Mexican, etc.), so these larger categories may not always be a factor.
According to Pew Research, “The use of the terms ‘Hispanic’ and ‘Latino’ to describe Americans of Spanish origin or descent is unique to the US, and their meaning continues to change and evolve. Outside the United States, these terms are not used widely and can also have different meanings.”
How can you celebrate Latino Heritage Month?
Latino Heritage Month was originally a week-long celebration created by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968 and later expanded to a month by President Ronald Reagan in 1988. Many Latin American countries (Nicaragua, Mexico, Chile, etc.) their independence around mid-September and October.
As you can see, Hispanics, Latinos, and Latinos have a very rich, complex, and widespread diaspora. To commemorate this time of year, look no further than your favorite social movements, cuisines, sports, books, musicians, and movies—and you’ll find no shortage of major contributors from Latino cultures.
More resources for Latinx Heritage Month
To read more on Latinx stories, creators and brands, check out In The Know coverage below.
50 Latinx Owned Brands to Support Today and Every Day
Uriel Diaz lifts the curtain on ‘Disneybounding’ and his TikTok fame
Lyanne Alfaro is making financial literacy more accessible for Latinos
The Pinole Project is a love letter to the founder’s grandparents and Mexico
Meet the Millennial Engineer inspiring a new, more diverse generation of scientists
Gen Z Pop-Punk Band Meet Me @ The Altar is the new face of a genre that previously lacked diversity
Beauty brand Cholas Y Chulas wants you to stop taking makeup so seriously
Mara Gómez becomes Argentina’s first transgender woman to play soccer: “It’s just started”
Ambar Lucid makes dreamy bilingual Alt-Pop with Latin and psychedelic influences
A Latino activist reinvented the Lottery game for millennials
Latina Equal Pay Day: The Wage Gap Costs Latinas $28K Year
How a 21-year-old immigrant overcame his anxieties by ‘becoming’ Spider-Man
Lyana Blount of Black Rican Vegan is changing the stigma of veganism
From El Mes De La Herencia Hispana, here are 12 Latina fashion and beauty influencers you need to know
Mirror Beauty Cooperative wants to be a safe space for Latinx and LGBTQIA+ workers
The post Everything You Need to Know About Latino Heritage Month appeared first on In The Know.
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