September 15 marks the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month. It runs through October 15 each year and is a time to recognize and celebrate the contributions, culture and history of the Latin American community in the United States.
During the month-long celebration, many activities take place such as festivals, art shows, conferences, community meetings, and much more. This year, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the celebrations have mostly been transformed to virtual events.
Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) launched a campaign for latino students, who are largest demographic group and represent 32.4% of the student population, to submit their photos showing the best of their Latin American roots.
The Montgomery County Board of Education officially declared on a resolution this month as Hispanic Heritage Month at MCPS.
Today @mocoboe declared the month of September 15 to October 15, 2020, to be Hispanic Heritage Month
in Montgomery County Public Schools. Read the resolution: https://t.co/545FTpW5R4 pic.twitter.com/4brrfQ9lR0— MCPS (@MCPS) August 25, 2020
Some virtual events are scheduled with the participation of Hispanic leaders and politicians in the county.
Every year, the Montgomery County Council celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with a large public event highlighting the contributions of Hispanics in the county, an initiative led by the first Hispanic woman to serve on the Council, Nancy Navarro. This year, because of the pandemic, a slightly smaller celebration is planned on October 6.
This month also celebrates the independence days of several Latin American countries, including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua on September 15, Mexico on September 16, and Chile on September 18.
According to the Census Bureau, Hispanics in the United States represent 60.6 million of the population in the country as of July 1, 2019, which means that people of Hispanic origin are the largest ethnic or racial minority. Hispanics constituted 18.5% of the total population of the country.
