ACA Commemorates Hispanic Heritage Month

We are excited to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with our Hispanic/Latinx Organization for Leadership & Advancement (HOLA) Employee Resource Group! HOLA works to bring insight into the different ethnicities, cuisine, and culture within the Hispanic community, as well as provide a collaborative collective group to help mentor, empower, and assist ACA’s Hispanic/Latinx talent.

What is Hispanic Heritage Month?

Observation of Hispanic heritage started in the U.S. in 1968 when Congress established Hispanic Heritage Week. It was later expanded to an entire month by President Ronald Reagan in 1988.

Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15th to October 15th to celebrate the histories, cultures, and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. This time period was chosen because several Latin American countries celebrate their independence days on September 15th, including El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Guatemala. Mexico, Chile, and Belize also celebrate their independence days during that week.

When Hispanic Heritage Month was established in 1988, there were nearly 20 million Latines in the U.S. As of 2022, that number had grown to more than 61 million.

Who is considered Hispanic/Latinx?

The word “Hispanic” refers to someone from Spain, but has generally been used to identify people from Spanish-speaking countries. Latino/Latina refers to people from Latin America. Latinx/Latine is a gender-neutral term that has grown popular to be more inclusive.

What it means to be Hispanic/Latinx

“I take pride in being Latino because it means honoring the contributions and triumphs of the Hispanic Americans before me, despite any hardships they may have endured.” – Tomas Arciniega, Principal Consultant and Co-lead of HOLA

“Being Hispanic means taking incredible pride in our culture. It is important to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month because it honors our customs, highlights the incredible diversity within our community, and reveals the special spark of passion we all share.” - Jannette Benavides, Consultant