Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated from September 15- October 15 every year. This started as a week-long celebration in 1968 when President Johnson declared it and said, “The people of Hispanic descent are the heirs of missionaries, captains, soldiers, and farmers who were motivated by a young spirit of adventure and a desire to settle freely in a free land.” In 1988 President Reagan extended the week to a full 31 days — through October 15. He kept the date of September 15 because it aligns with the national independence days of Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. In addition, Mexico celebrates on the 16th, Chile on the 18th, and Belize on the 21st (Romo, 2021).
Here we join that month-long celebration by taking some time to highlight some of our stories that celebrate Hispanic Heritage and some of the amazing Antiochians who are a part of that community.
