Hispanic Heritage Month—also called Latinx Heritage Month to recognize a broader spectrum of identities relating to gender, language, and origin—will be celebrated in the US from September 15th through October 15th.
Started in 1968 by President Lyndon B. Johnson as a week-long commemoration, the event was expanded to a month-long span by President Ronald Reagan in 1988. Its mid-month starting point coincides with the anniversary of independence for several Latin American countries: Costa Rice, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua (all on September 15th); Mexico (on September 16th); and Chile (on September 18th).
The holiday began as a way to center and celebrate the contributions of this community in the United States, but has since broadened into an opportunity to center the experience of today’s Latinx peoples in a variety of conversations and activations. Today, the U.S. Hispanic population totals over 60 million, with significant growth in Southern states and a strong influence on younger consumer buying power in the country.
Celebrate the month by encouraging accounts to stock up on top-selling fiction and nonfiction titles that focus on Latinx stories, including Spanish-language titles. For more information on the holiday, visit https://hispanicheritagemonth.gov/about/.
To see the full list of titles on the Backlist Vault, click here.
To see this collection on Edelweiss, click here.