According to the Library of Congress, “Each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15th to October 15th by celebrating the histories, cultures, and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.”
The Library of Congress notes that ”The U.S. Hispanic population reached 62.1 million in 2020, up from 50.5 million in 2010.” This population growth rate was much higher than the world’s growth rate. Furthermore, Hispanic people made up nearly one-in-five people in the U.S. (19%), up from 16% in 2010 and just 5% in 1970.” This shows that America continues to be a welcoming place for people elsewhere in the world.
Unfortunately, many of my Hispanic friends and I did not know that it was Hispanic Heritage Month until one of my teachers mentioned it this month. This shows that we should all do a better job recognizing the contributions Hispanic people have made in our country and in the world.
Some people who have had a major impact on Hispanic culture include Rita Moreno, Cesar Chavez, and Roberto Clemente. Rita Moreno was a Hispanic actress and won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar, becoming the first Hispanic woman to win an Academy Award. According to Biography, “She became only the third person ever to achieve the coveted EGOT, winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award by 1977.” Cesar Chavez was a hard worker, labor leader, and civil rights activist. He showed the government that the working conditions for farmers were really bad and needed to be changed. Last, Roberto Clemente was the first Latin American baseball player to collect 3,000 career hits.
It is so important to recognize Hispanic Heritage Month because there are so many people that have made our country and world what it is to this day. Let’s all join together to celebrate these valuable contributions.