Hispanic Heritage Month Celebrates Diversity

But considering the growth of the Hispanic population and increasing diversity, just how important is Hispanic Heritage Month?

Growing diversity

According to Amy Schmitz Weiss, professor in the School of Journalism and Media Studies and the SDSU Center for Latin American Studies, the month of recognition is still worth celebrating.

“Whether an individual is Latino or non-Latino, ethnic diversity should always be celebrated in this country,” Weiss said. “We are an ethnically diverse country and we should embrace these aspects that make all of us unique and amazing.

“In turn, by appreciating and embracing this, we learn more about each other and ourselves as a society. Hispanic Heritage Month should be celebrated for recognizing the importance of the Hispanic culture and all that it embodies.”

Changing celebration

What started as a weeklong celebration of Hispanics in 1968 under President Lyndon Johnson became a monthlong observance in 1988, under President Ronald Reagan. As expected, there have been some changes in how the month is celebrated.

“It is interesting to see the for-profit enterprises using Hispanic Heritage Month for a marketing opportunity,” Weiss said. “I think it is unfortunate that sometimes corporate interests take over in this regard.

“However, I believe that there are many organizations, institutions and individuals that are helping to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in more meaningful ways—through education, culture and the arts.”

Celebrating year round

While Weiss noted that Hispanic Heritage Month is important, the celebration of Hispanic culture should not be relegated to a once-a-year event.

“Embrace it all year round,” Weiss said. “Embracing our ethnic diversity in each other is one step to bringing us to closer understanding ourselves in this world.”