Hispanic Heritage Month Assemblies

Written by Emanuel Luengas

Every year, Americans and Hispanics celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15, by celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central and South America. The occasion started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period starting on September 15 and ending on October 15. It was enacted into law on August 17, 1988.

This month is already an extremely well known event for all of latinos across the world. People celebrate it anywhere which includes schools, businesses, and host many different events like parades and festivals celebrating our heritage and being proud of where we are from and what we stand for. For example, at FHS we are celebrating by hosting an assembly to express and show other communities our talents and what we represent in our communities. Latinas and Latinos have always held significant roles throughout our country’s history, going way back to the American Revolution. A recent study showed that Latino history is largely left out in high school textbooks used across the United States, even with increasing per- centages of Latina and Latino students.

As the country continues to increase in diversity, it’s necessary for all citizens to learn more about American Latino experiences to be able to understand and value the many contributions Latinas and Latinos have made, not just in the United States but worldwide. FHS has worked to recognize this growing population.