Hispanic Heritage Month began as a commemorative week when it was introduced in June of 1968 by California Congressman George E. Brown. Representative Brown represented East Los Angeles and a large portion of the San Gabriel Valley which were both heavily populated by members of the Hispanic and Latinx communities. He wanted to recognize the influence members of these communities played throughout American history. In September 1968, during Lyndon B. Johnson's presidential administration, Congress chose the week including September 15 and 16 to celebrate the contributions and achievements of the diverse cultures within the Hispanic community, creating National Hispanic Heritage Week.
The dates were chosen to commemorate two key historic events:
- Independence Day, honoring the formal signing of the Act of Independence for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua (September 15, 1821)
- Mexico's Independence Day, which denotes the beginning of the struggle against Spanish control (September 16, 1810)
On September 14, 1989, President George H.W. Bush (who had been a sponsor of the original Hispanic Heritage Week resolution while serving in the House in 1968) became the first president to declare the month-long celebration from September 15 to October 15 as National Hispanic Heritage Month.
