(KERO) — This month we celebrate the heritage, culture, and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors hailed from countries like Mexico, Spain, and Central and South America with Hispanic Heritage Month.
The history of this celebration is rooted back in 1968, when it was first introduced as a weeklong celebration of hispanic and Latin communities following the momentum gained during the Civil Rights and Farmworkers' movements.
It was President Lyndon B. Johnson who first signed national hispanic heritage week into law. President Ronald Regan extended the observance to a month long and President George H.W. Bush declared Hispanic Heritage Month beginning on Sept. 15th
Why the 15th? Well, the dates observed during Hispanic Heritage Month are significant.
Sept.15th marks the anniversary of independence for our Central American neighbors like Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. It was on this day in 1821 they declared independence from Spain.
Sept. 16th and 18th marks Mexico’s and Chiles’s independence from Spain and Sept. 21st marks Belize’s independence from Great Britain.
It was also on Sept. 21st, 1965, that several hundred workers began sit-down strikes in farm labor camps in Delano, refusing to harvest. It was a farmworkers' movement that would continue to grow for years.
All month long with celebrate the history and culture of these countries with festivals, music, and food while looking back at their accomplishments, especially here in the Central Valley.
