Hispanic Heritage Month
The U.S. observes Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to
October 15.
Every year, the United States observes Hispanic Heritage Month. This
month-long celebration helps to educate people about the important
cultures, traditions, and history of Hispanic Americans.
The word “Hispanic” generally means “from a country where Spanish is
the main language.” The term “Latino,” often used interchangeably with
“Hispanic,” refers to people who come from Latin American areas such as
Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Central America, and South America. It also
includes Brazil, where people speak Portuguese, but leaves out Spain
itself.
It might seem strange, but this special month is celebrated from
September 15 to October 15. This is because several Latin American
nations celebrate their independence days during late September. It also
includes the date of Christopher Columbus arriving in the “New World”
— October 12, 1492. Of course, this was not the “New World” to the
many Native American groups who already occupied the Americas. Many
Hispanic Americans can trace their ancestry back to both the Spanish
conquerors and the original native groups that were already in the
Americas.
Hispanic Americans are the largest “minority” group in the U.S. This
group’s population is 53 million, or 17 percent of the total U.S.
population — a figure that will more than double in the next 45 years.
Most of the Latinos in the U.S. live in just three states: California,
Florida, and Texas. About 65 percent of Latino Americans are Mexican
American. The second largest group, Puerto Rican Americans, make up
another 10 percent of U.S. Hispanics.
Hispanic culture has always been part of the United States.
Latino Americans have had a huge influence on American culture. This is
not surprising, since, at one point, much of the territory in the U.S.
belonged to Spain and Mexico. This includes the areas now called
Florida, Texas, most of the American Southwest, and California.
This is easily seen in many place names in the U.S. For example,
“Colorado” means “red” in Spanish, and was named for the state’s
reddish soil. Florida means “flowery” in the same language. Cities such
as Los Angeles, San Antonio, and Las Vegas were all settled first by
Spain or Mexico.
Many people do not realize the extent to which Spanish has influenced
the English language. Many words and phrases we use every day come
from Spanish — even words such as “tomato” and “cafeteria,” which
don’t seem Spanish. Other words that come from Spanish include
“potato,” “stampede,” and “barbecue.”
In some cases, these words started as Native American terms that were
then changed by Spanish settlers. For example, the word “hurricane”
comes from Hurakan, one of the gods worshipped by the Mayan people of
Central America.
Hispanic culture can be seen in many other ways. The U.S. loves
Mexican American food such as tacos, burritos, and the popular snack
called nachos. Latin music is also very popular in the U.S., from Mexican
“norteño” bands to cumbia and reggaetón. Salsa music, which started in
New York City, is based on jazz and music from Cuba and Puerto Rico.
Marc Anthony, one of the greatest salsa singers of all time, was born and
raised in New York, though his parents came from Puerto Rico.