5 Ways You Can Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month
And FYI: Celebrating and uplifting the Latine and Hispanic community can be done year round. But that’s up to you.
(Ira L. Black/Corbis via Getty Images)
Every year, Hispanic Heritage Month stretches from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. During this period, people of Hispanic and Latine heritage celebrate in a number of ways: embracing their roots, telling authentic — sometimes grueling stories — about their history and showing support to other Latine and Hispanic people.
Here are a few ways you can also engage with the community during this month!
- Go to events in your area
This month, people across the country are holding all different kinds of space to honor and celebrate their Hispanic heritage. For example, if you’re in the San Francisco Bay Area, you can attend this year’s Latino Heritage Celebration. You can also join virtual events that commemorate and facilitate discussions about historical events and periods.
- Support Latine businesses near you
Showing support for small businesses is a great way to uplift many communities including Latine folks. Just to give you a few ideas of where to start: local restaurants, beauty products and Etsy shops are some examples of businesses you can access from almost anywhere you’re at. There are even bilingual book subscription boxes!
There are so many ways you can highlight these businesses and even integrate them into your life once Hispanic Heritage Month ends.
- Learn about the term Hispanic
The term Hispanic applies to people who come from Spanish lineage. But the term doesn’t fully capture the entire – and oftentimes complex – identities of many Hispanic and Latine People. Many of us in this community also have ties to Indigenous, African, Asian and many more lineages! So while many of us might have Spanish connections, there are many other identities that Hispanic people experience that go beyond Spain.
- Educate yourself on our history
Not every aspect of Hispanic/Latine history is happy. The Latine community in this country has faced and continues to face adversity daily. But acknowledging the history and honoring the work that people have done for generations is important in understanding how far the Latine community has come. For example, there are countless books, movies, and other types of media that pay tribute to these stories. And, what better way to celebrate Hispanic Heritage month than learning about the thousands of people who have fought to support their community, while also holding those who have suppressed Hispanic/Latine voices accountable?
- Be in community
The Hispanic community includes so many different and beautiful intersectional identities. And it is incredibly important to take the time to listen to one another to better understand just how large the community is. There are many misconceptions of what it means to be Latine. But much of the beauty in this community lies in understanding how different we all are and listening to each other’s stories!