Why September 15 for Hispanic Heritage Month?

Hispanic Heritage Month, originally established in 1968, began as a commemorative week introduced by California Congressman George E. Brown, who represented East Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley, to recognize the contributions of the Hispanic community throughout American history. 

The “Central American neighbors” as President Lyndon B. Johnson dubbed the countries of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua – declared their independence from Spain on September 15, 1821. So it only seemed fitting to select September 15^th as the kickoff date for honoring the Hispanic American community. 

In 1988, President George H. W. Bush became the first president to declare a 31-day period of celebration, with the official dates of National Hispanic Heritage Month spanning from September 15 to October 15 annually.     

The theme for this year’s celebration is “Pioneers of Change: Shaping the Future Together.”

Check out New London’s Celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month event! For more events across the state and throughout the month, visit this article from CT Insider.