Table of Diversity Weekly: Hispanic Heritage Month

A Healthy Dose of DEI is one of the many things I look forward to each week. Learning about different topics, finding new podcasts, and more. This week's edition was one of the most exciting!

October 15- September 15 is Hispanic Heritage Month. While most monthly observances follow calendar months, Hispanic Heritage Month begins based on when various Latin American countries gained independence. With each of these countries comes a history that is so intriguing that I could spend the rest of the year delving into their stories, one week at a time. That's what makes A Healthy Dose of DEI difficult. It can't contain all the amazing aspects of one's heritage, history, and culture. But, in this week's edition, we've given you a good place to start!

Learn more about the history of Hispanic Heritage Month and why it was started. Read about some events that have shaped Hispanic culture, many you may not have learned about in school. Be sure to check out the PBS article, it includes music, food, movies, documentaries and more for exploring the Hispanic culture and it's impact on the rest of the world.

Have you heard of the gender neutral 'Latinx'? Check out the podcast to learn more about this term and it's acceptance (or not!) in the Latino and Hispanic communities.

Because so many great resources were collected as part of Hispanic Heritage Month, expect to see more editions of A Healthy Dose of DEI dedicated to this rich history and culture!

Read. Listen. Watch.

Hispanic Heritage Month. National Museum of the American Latino

"Hispanic Heritage Month is a month-long celebration of Hispanic and Latino history and culture. While we celebrate Hispanic and Latino communities beyond this month, from September 15 to October 15 we give extra recognition to the many contributions made to the history and culture of the United States, including important advocacy work, vibrant art, popular and traditional foods, and much more.

Hispanic Heritage Month provides an additional opportunity to explore the incredible impact Latinas and Latinos have had on the United States for generations. The Latino presence in America spans centuries, predating Spain's colonization of what is now part of the United States, and they have been an integral part of shaping our nation since the Revolutionary War. Through the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo and the Treaty of Paris that followed the Mexican-American and Spanish-American wars, the United States gained territories in the Southwest and Puerto Rico. This incorporated the people of this area into the United States and further expanded the presence of Hispanic Americans.

Today, the Latino population in the United States today is over 60 million, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. This makes up 18.9% if the total population and is the largest racial or ethnic group. Latinos continue to help fuel our economy and enrich our nation as entrepreneurs, athletes, artists, entertainers, scientists, public servants, and much more."

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Here's why Hispanic Heritage Month begins on Sept. 15. -KHOU

"The reason Hispanic Heritage Month runs from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15 is that Sept. 15 is significant to a number of Latin American countries.

It is the anniversary of independence for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. also, Sept. 16 is Mexico's Independence Day. Some Americans think that day is Cinco de Mayo, but Sept. 16 marks the day in 1810 when a catholic priest, Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla in Mexico made the first cry for independence. His moving speech lit a spark and inspired a movement.

Hispanic Heritage Month started as a week in 1968. President Lyndon Johnson signed the law making the week of Sept. 15 a time to honor the contributions of the Hispanic and Latin American communities. In 1988, Reagan signed into law a bill turning that week into an entire month to celebrate Hispanic heritage."

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5 Events in Hispanic History You Never Learned in School. -How Stuff Works

"The history of Hispanics in America is long and rich, one that began with Spanish explorers invading the continent in the 1500s and has continued with the movement of people from Latin America and the Caribbean. In recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month, here are five little-known facts of Hispanic American history.

1. Hispanics Have Served in Congress Since the 1800s. Some 300 years after Spanish explorers became the first non-Native Americans to view the Mississippi River and, later, the Grand Canyon, Joseph Marion Hernandez helped smooth the transfer of the territory of Florida into U.S. rule. Florida was still part of Spain when Harnandez was born in St. Augustine in 1784, but that changed when he was selected to serve in the House of Representatives and was sworn into duty in 1823 as the first Hispanic to serve in Congress.

In historical context, the slave-owning Hernandez is somewhat controversial. Still, he remains the first of 128 Hispanics to serve in the Congress of the U.S. Maybe of more relevance today is the first senator elected to a full term in Congress, New Mexico's Dennis Chavez, in 1935.

'In addition to being the first [American-born Hispanic senator], he's critical for the time we live in because he fought on behalf of all working class, equally,' Ortiz says. 'He fought for higher wages legislation. He fought for people to have the right to organize a union. He fought for more progress in U.S. foreign policy for Latin America. He organized with NAACP leaders against Jim Crow segregation. Dennis Chavez is one of those people we can use Hispanic Heritage Month to talk about our connection to other people's democratic struggles.'

Today's Congress, the 116th (2019-2021), has 47 members of Hispanic heritage.

2. Hispanics Fought in the Civil War"

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Key facts about U.S. Latinos for National Hispanic Heritage Month. -Pew Research

"National Hispanic Heritage Month, which begins each year on Sept. 15, celebrates U.S. Latinos, their culture and their history. Started in 1968 by Congress as Hispanic Heritage Week, it was expanded to a month in 1988. The celebration begins in the middle rather than the start of September because it coincides with national independence days in several Latin American countries: Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica celebrate theirs on Sept. 15, followed by Mexico on Sept. 16, Chile on Sept. 18 and Belize on Sept 21.

Here are some key facts about the nation's Latino population by geography, and by characteristics like language use and origin group.

The U.S. Hispanic population reached 62.5 million in 2021, up from 50.5 million in 2010. The 19% increase in the Hispanic population was faster than the nation's 7% growth rate, but slower than the 23% increase in the Asian population. In 2021, Hispanics made up nearly one-in-five people in the U.S. (19%)- the 50 states and the District of Columbia. This is up from 16% in 2010 and just 5% in 1970.

Hispanics have played a major role in driving U.S. population growth over the past decade. The U.S. population grew by 23.1 million from 2010 to 2021, and Hispanics accounted for 52% of this increase- a greater share than any other racial or ethnic group. The number of non-Hispanic people who identify with two or more races increased by 8.3 million during this time, accounting for 36% of the overall U.S. population increase.

The number of Latinos who say they are multiracial has increased dramatically. Almost 28 million Latinos identified with more than one race in 2021, up from just 3 million in 2010. The increase could be due to a number of factors, including changes to the census form that make it easier for people to identify with multiple races and growing racial diversity that results in more Latinos identifying as multiracial.

Growth in multiracial Latinos comes primarily from those who identify as a specific race and 'some other race' (i.e., those who write in a response to the race question)- a population that grew from 2.1 million to 25.0 million since 2010. Those who identify as a specific race and "some other race" now represent about 90% of multiracial Latinos. The increase was due almost entirely to growth in the number of those who identified as White and some other race, according to the 2020 census. At the same time, the number of Latinos who identified as White and no other race declined from 26.7 million in 2010 to 10.2 million in 2021."

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The Cry of Dolores, September 16, 1810. -VCoins Community

"The Cry of Dolores, delivered by Catholic priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla in Dolores on 16 September 1810, is a call to arms that triggered the Mexican War of Independence. Every year on the eve of Independence Day, the President of Mexico re-enacts the cry from the balcony of the National Palace in Mexico City.

The Cry of Dolores

On the evening of September 15, 1810, the conspirators received the alarming news that their plot had been uncovered. At that moment, Ignacio Allende found himself in the town of Dolores and contemplated going into hiding to evade capture. However, it was Miguel Hidalgo who urged him to stand resolute and continue pushing forward with their cause.

As dawn broke on the 16th of September, Hidalgo took to the pulpit of his parish and sounded the church bells. Then, he delivered a stirring speech that would come to be known as the 'Grito de Dolores' of the Cry of Dolores. In his impassioned address, he called upon Mexicans to rise against Spanish oppression, demanding an end to tyranny and exploitation. Hidalgo cried out for the 'death' of Spanish rule and the 'life' of Mexican sovereignty. In response to his words, a fervent wave of enthusiasm swept through the congregation and their collective spirit was ignited by the call to liberation. Mexicans from all social classes, including mestizos, indigenous people, and criollos, ralled behind Hidalgo's call for independence. The movement spread like wildfire, gathering momentum and support as it surged through the country."

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Hispanic & Latino Heritage Month. -PBS

"Hispanic and Latino Heritage Month runs from September 15 to October 15 and it is a great time to learn more about the diversity of Hispanic and Latina/e/o/x experiences and cultures. In 2020, the U.S. Hispanic population was an estimated 62 million out of the total U.S. population of 331.4 million.

We know that just one descriptor can hardly capture the spirit and cultures of so many people who descend from a vast geography that includes present-day Southwestern U.S. states to the southern most tip of South America, and nearly every present-day country and island in between. This is why you'll see many different ways in which people describe themselves and their heritage. You'll see the terms Latina, Latino, and their non-gendered versions Latine and Latinx. You might also see people identify as Hispanic, Chicano, Tejano, Taino, Islenos, Boricua, Afro-Latino, in addition to the many more terms used for people who have families and ancestors in the 22 nations and territories that comprise Latin America."

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Code Switch: Why Put The 'Hispanic' In Hispanic Heritage Month?

"Hispanic Heritage Month is a nationally recognized, not-quite-a-month. (It's the back half of September and the front half of October).

That, according to the government's website, is because Sept. 15 marks the anniversary of Independence from Spain in El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala and Costa Rica. (Mexico declared its independence a day later). And Oct. 12 is Dia de la Raza, loosely translated as Day of the Race, or 'Columbus Day'- a national holiday in a number of Latin American countries.

Dia de la Raza marks Christopher Columbus' landfall in the Caribbean, and is celebrated in various Latin American countries as the start of the 'hispanicization' of the 'new world.' (It seems weird to me to include a day many believe marks the beginning of the rape, pillage and genocide that began with Columbus' voyage. But, I digress.)

Now, the whole notion that those of us from the Latin American diaspora refer to ourselves as 'Hispanic' or 'Latino' or 'Latinx'- that's pretty new. And, it's something we discussed on the podcast with Cristina Mora, sociologist at the University of California, Berkeley. Mora wrote about the adoption of the term 'Hispanic' and how the U.S. census played a big role. So, for 'Hispanic Heritage Month,' here's the Q&A we did with More about her book, Making Hispanics: How Activists, Bureaucrats, and Media Created a New American."

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The Daily Show: Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month

"Eva Longoria talks about the challenges facing the Latino community right now and how she is unmasking beauty stereotypes. Co-host of 'The View' and CNN political commentator Ana Navarro discusses the importance of unity among Latinos and all underrepresented groups, and how Democrats shouldn't take the Latino vote for granted. And Actor and activist Diane Guerrero talks about the need for more representation in Hollywood and the struggles she faced being separated from her immigrant parents at 14."

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Weekly Activities

Activity 1: This week's activity is on building and nurturing community partners. As with many cultures, there's no one way for people from that culture to live and express themselves. One of the best ways to keep your organization up to date on the Hispanic and Latino cultures is to build genuine connections with people and groups from that culture.

Think about partnerships your organization has with organizations in, led by, and serving the Hispanic community. How are you being of service to those groups and how can they be of service to you? Now is a great time to be intentional in your engagement with the Hispanic community in and near your organization.

Activity 2: Being a leader and influencer is a full-time responsibility. Use this activity to be more intentional in the way you show up for and interact with your team and peers.

This week's leadership activity is all about collaboration! DEI is a lifestyle, not just an activity that gets completed while you're working.

This is going to sound very cliche, but do you have Hispanic friends? This isn't a 'cure-all' for reducing discrimination or isms, but it's a great step in building meaningful connections and learning about different cultures.

Your activity this week is to attend a Hispanic cultural event. Check out local events that celebrate Hispanic heritage. Attend a museum, a festival, a restaurant, or other event and absorb the culture. Invite your team to participate and share any 'aha' moments.

What similarities exist between the Hispanic culture and your culture?

What are the differences?

How can you be a better leader of someone from the Hispanic culture?