Hispanic Heritage Month is the celebration of the independence days of several Spanish-speaking countries. The month starts on Sept. 15, when Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua declared their independence from Spain in 1821, and ends on Oct. 15.
The official start of Hispanic Heritage Month traces back to 1968, when President Richard Nixon issued yearly proclamations that set aside a week of celebration for Hispanic Americans. In 1987, Representative Esteban E. Torres of California advocated to expand the week into a full month to allow more time for the United States to plan events and properly celebrate Hispanic culture.
President Ronald Reagan signed a bill into law in 1988 and in 1989, President George H.W. Bush was the first president to declare Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 as National Hispanic Heritage Month.
One of the university’s student organizations, Students of Latinx Affinity (SOLA), is putting on several events throughout the month.
According to their Engage page, SOLA and Fútbol Fanatics are going to Lower.com Field to watch Columbus Crew in their game against LigaMX team Club America on Sept. 25
Several other events, such as “I Stand With Immigrants Day of Action” and “Latine Heritage Party” will be taking place after Hispanic Heritage Month is over, but are still fun ways to get involved with SOLA and celebrate Hispanic culture.
In Blackmore Library, Hispanic authors are also getting spotlighted with a “celebration through literature.”
Off campus, there will be a Latino Heritage Art Show that runs through Oct. 18. Nominations for the Esperanza Awards―awards for those that have “demonstrated commitment, advocacy, and dedication to advancing the Latino community in Columbus”―are open until Oct. 6.
A Latino Policy Day will be from 6-8:30 p.m. Sept. 28 at the Columbus Art Museum. There will be a discussion of “unaccompanied minors entering the U.S., their journeys and the challenges they face,” a showing of the documentary “Which Way Home” and a Q&A session.
On Oct. 12, a Spanish book fair will be held at the Columbus Metropolitan Library Main Branch.
There are many ways students can support Hispanic Heritage. Students can learn the history behind Hispanic Heritage Month, explore resources and support Latinx authors and artists. Students can take action by attending events, donating to Hispanic or Latinx nonprofits and supporting minority owned businesses.
