National Hispanic Heritage Month
September 20, 2023
National Hispanic Heritage Month is a month-long celebration of Latino culture held from September 15 to October 15 in the United States every year since 1988. The observation begins in the middle of the month because September 15 is the anniversary of the independence of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. The date also acknowledges the anniversaries of the independence of Mexico (September 16) and Chile (September 18).
Latinos account for more than 19 percent of the U.S. population and have had a positive impact on U.S. culture in all areas, including business, government, the arts, food, science, sports, and education. Latin Americans have made significant contributions to everything from early color-television technology to the development of hypertension drugs. They are doctors, teachers, plumbers, musicians, chefs, and astronauts. National Hispanic Heritage Month is a great time to celebrate the friends, neighbors, and coworkers among us whose cultural heritage has enriched us all with everything from Latin jazz to guacamole.
Acknowledging National Hispanic Heritage Month in the workplace lets your Latino employees know that their culture is valued by your organization, and lets your non-Latino employees know that you value diversity, equity, and inclusion. Activities to celebrate the occasion also contribute to employee engagement and add some always-welcome fun to the workday.
Here are some ideas for celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month:
- Organize a Latino Food Fest. Have a potluck at work by asking everyone to contribute their favorite Latino dish. If you have employees who work remotely, make it a virtual event by creating a shareable document to which employees can add recipes, favorite restaurants, and pictures of their favorite dishes.
- Pick a National Hispanic Heritage Month–themed book and invite everyone to read it and join in on a discussion about it.
- Hire a local educator to give a talk, either in-person or virtually, about a Latino theme.
- Arrange for an either in-person or virtual Latin music or dance performance.
- Have a Lunch and Learn, where a topic such as Latino contributions to your industry is presented.
- With their permission, interview and spotlight some Latino employees in the organization newsletter or an email.
National Hispanic Heritage Month is a good opportunity to increase employee engagement and team spirit, and to learn something too.