¡Arriba! Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month

San Antonio has always had a rich array of cultural influence from a very diverse set of peoples. Perhaps the most notable of these influences, though, comes from Latinx/Hispanic culture. This is largely due to the fact that Texas was, from 1821-1836, a part of Coahuila y Tejas, a state in Northern Mexico (Jessica). Even following Texas' independence from Mexico and its later annexation into the United States, Latinx culture and people remained.

When Spanish settlers were first exploring the New World in the 16th and 17th centuries, the area that constitutes as modern-day Texas was considered a territory of Nueva España, or New Spain, along with much of Central America. As part of their expeditions and attempts to convert the native populations to Catholicism, Spanish settlers founded numerous missions across the state. These missions not only spread Christianity to the area, but Spanish language and culture as well.

A historic Spanish mission, photographed by Joshua J. Cotten

It makes sense then---considering our country's long-history with Spanish influence and our close neighbors to the South---that we celebrate Hispanic heritage every year from September 15th through October 15th.

Hispanic Heritage Month came about, in part, due to the unrest of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement. During a time in which Chicano leaders were pushing for the government to recognize national Hispanic impact, President Lyndon B. Johnson established National Hispanic Heritage Week. Later---in 1988---the week-long celebration, which was set to coincide with the independence days of various Latin-American countries, was formally extended by President Ronald Reagan into National Hispanic Heritage Month (Martinez).

But Hispanic Heritage Month is greater than simple recognition. It provides a month-long opportunity to engage with and celebrate Hispanic communities, an opportunity for schools to educate on Hispanic history, and for notable voices to speak about the issues affecting Hispanic Americans. All of these things are especially important considering that nearly 1/5th of the U.S. population identifies as Hispanic or Latino, making this group the largest ethnic minority in the country (Moslimani and Noe-Bustamante).

Baile folklórico, photographed by Roger Ce

Despite the fact that Hispanic Heritage Month is a celebration of specifically Hispanic culture, you don't have to identify as Hispanic to participate. In San Antonio, there are a number of ways to celebrate and get involved. The Rev Tour Festival 2025 will take place this weekend, September 27th with live comedy, music, and a quinceañera-inspired fashion show at The Espee on Commerce; take an opportunity to learn San Antonio-specific history at the Tejanos at the Alamo event on October 11th; attend the Día de los Muertos Fashion Show at La Cantera on October 18th; visit the Diez y Seis Mariachi Festival on October 11th to support student-musicians; or head to The Centro Cultural Aztlan up until October 16th to take a look at free photography exhibition, "FotoSeptiembre - Celebrating Latino Culture and Community".

San Antonio is a vibrant, heavily Latin-influenced city, and this month gives us an opportunity to recognize the culture that exists here. For more information on upcoming events, visit KSAT12's list of local celebrations here, or the official Visit San Antonio site here. However you decide to celebrate, the CDFCO team wishes you a happy Hispanic Heritage Month! In the words of first Hispanic justice of the Supreme Court, Sonia Sotomayor, "It is important for all of us to appreciate where we come from and how that history has really shaped us in ways that we might not understand.”

Sources:

Jessica. “Was Texas Part of Mexico? A Detailed History - Tattooed Martha.” Eye and Pen, 20 Aug. 2023, www.eyeandpen.com/was-texas-part-of-mexico/.

Martinez, Luis. “Hispanic Heritage Month: Celebrating Culture, History, and Contributions in the United States.” A Hispanic News Source | Hispanic Heritage Month 2024, 13 Sept. 2024, www.hispanicmonth.net/hispanic-heritage-month/hispanic-heritage-month-celebrating-culture-history-and-contributions-in-the-united-states/.

Moslimani, Mohamad, and Luis Noe-Bustamante. “Facts on Latinos in the U.S.” Pew Research Center, 16 Aug. 2023, www.pewresearch.org/race-and-ethnicity/fact-sheet/latinos-in-the-us-fact-sheet/.