The city of Las Vegas Hispanic Heritage Month program recognizes the contributions of Hispanic and Latinx Americans in the United States and celebrates the group’s heritage and culture.
Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15 by celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of Americans whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. The observation 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. The day of September 15 is significant because it is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Mexico and Chile celebrate independence days on September 16 and September 18, respectively.
We commemorate this month annually through family festivals, sporting events, resource fairs, dance workshops, community service projects and educational field trips focusing on career exposure and literacy. This year, due to the pandemic, we have had to get creative to continue to celebrate the rich Hispanic culture we have in Nevada. We will be virtually celebrating important components of Hispanic culture: food, art, history, community and education.
Food: This month, we will highlight Hispanic cuisine from local restaurants and encourage you to do the same in your own neighborhoods.
Art: Later this month, we will feature local Latinx artists on our blog. We will share with their inspirations, influences and advice.
History: To end the month, on October 15 we will host a virtual panel with the Latinx Voices Project.
Education: “Pequeños exploradores con Strong Start GO!” Through our Strong Start GO! programs, Pre-K students will navigate through Latin American countries and learn more about the different cultures.