Hispanic Heritage Month

There’s no better time to honor the history, culture, and civic contributions of Americans with heritage from Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. In 1968, it began as Hispanic Heritage Week. Exactly twenty years later, it expanded to an entire month-long celebration and cultural extravaganza. The first day of the celebration aligns with the independence days of several nations, including the following:

Chile | Costa Rica | El Salvador | Honduras | Mexico | Nicaragua

The term “Hispanic.”

“Hispanic” is a pan-ethnic term that applies to Americans of Mexican or Latin American decent. President Lyndon Johnson originated the term when his administration started to recognize Hispanic Heritage Month in 1968. “Hispanic” was also supported by the US Census beginning in 1980. Unfortunately, the term alienated millions of people with diverse identities and ethnicities.

Yazmin Diaz, a Metrocare Care Coordinator, says: “While yes, the Hispanic culture is proud that we are relevant in the US, we are even more proud of where our roots are from (and) the reason why we are here.”

These key facts highlight how far the Hispanic community has come:

• The U.S. Hispanic population reached 63.6 million in 2022, up from 50.5 million in 2010.
• The number of Latinos who say they are multiracial has increased dramatically. More than 27 million Latinos identified with more than one race in 2022, up from 3 million in 2010. The increase could be due to several factors, including changes to the census form that make it easier for people to select multiple races and growing racial diversity.
• Venezuelans have seen the fastest population growth among U.S. Latinos. From 2010 to 2022, the Venezuelan-origin population in the U.S. increased by 236%
• Hispanics are the largest racial or ethnic group in California and Texas
• The share of U.S. Hispanics with college experience has increased since 2010. About 45% of U.S. Hispanic adults ages 25 and older had at least some college experience in 2022, up from 36% in 2010.
• Four-in-five Latinos are U.S. citizens. As of 2022, 81% of Latinos living in the country are U.S. citizens, up from 74% in 2010.

If this list sparked your interest, Metrocare encourages you to find more key facts here.

As we embrace everything Hispanic Heritage Month has to offer, we encourage you to learn more about the rich history, indulge in the flavorful cuisine, and dance to the colorful music until your feet need a rest!

Happy Hispanic Heritage Month to all!