National Hispanic Heritage Month: Fact Sheet
Updated September 13, 2021
Congressional Research Service
https://crsreports.congress.gov
R44191
National Hispanic Heritage Month: Fact Sheet
Introduction
This fact sheet is designed to assist congressional offices with work related to National Hispanic
Heritage Month, which is observed from September 15 to October 15. It contains links to census
and demographic information, a CRS report, sample speeches and remarks from the
Congressional Record, and presidential proclamations. It also contains links to additional cultural
and historical resources and selected educational, cultural, and advocacy organizations.
History
National Hispanic Heritage Month started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President
Lyndon Johnson, and it was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day
period starting on September 15 and ending on October 15. It was enacted into law on August 17,
1988.
Legislation
P.L. 90-498. Authorized and requested the President to proclaim annual y the week including
September 15 and 16 as National Hispanic Heritage Week (82 Stat. 848; September 17, 1968).
P.L. 100-402. Amended P.L. 90-498 to provide for the designation of National Hispanic Heritage
Month (102 Stat. 1012; August 17, 1988).
P.L. 105-225, §126. Requested that the President issue a yearly proclamation designating
September 15 through October 15 as National Hispanic Heritage Month (112 Stat. 1259; August
12, 1998).
In recent years, the Senate has passed resolutions recognizing National Hispanic Heritage Month:
S.Res. 352, September 26, 2019,
S.Res. 655, September 26, 2018,
S.Res. 256, September 14, 2017, and
S.Res. 574, September 26, 2016.
Hispanic Members of Congress
CRS Report R46705, Membership of the 117th Congress: A Profile, by Jennifer E. Manning. The
report provides a demographic profile of current Members of Congress, including the number of
Hispanic and Latino Members, by gender and party.
U.S. House of Representatives, Hispanic Americans in Congress. From the Office of the
Historian and the Clerk of the House’s Office of Art and Archives, this website, based on the
book Hispanic Americans in Congress, 1822–2012, contains profiles of former and current
Hispanic Members of Congress, essays, images, and photos.
Sample Speeches and Recognitions
Members of Congress often make floor statements, issue press releases, or enter Extensions of
Remarks into the Congressional Record to recognize federal holidays and observances. The
following are some recent examples of such statements.
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National Hispanic Heritage Month: Fact Sheet
Senator Richard Durbin, “Hispanic Heritage Month,” remarks in the Senate, Congressional
Record, daily edition, vol. 166, no. 173 (October 5, 2020), p. S6035
Representative Lucy McBath, “Congressional Commendation Honoring Hispanic Heritage
Month,” Extensions of Remarks, Congressional Record, daily edition, vol. 166, no. 172 (October
2, 2020), pp. E922-E923
Representative Dan Newhouse, “Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month,” remarks in the House,
Congressional Record, daily edition, vol. 166, no. 171 (October 1, 2020), p. H5438
Senator John Cornyn, “Hispanic Heritage Month,” remarks in the Senate, Congressional Record,
daily edition, vol. 166, no. 166 (September 24, 2020), pp. S5848-S5849
Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson, “Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month,” Extensions of
Remarks, Congressional Record, daily edition, vol. 166, no. 161 (September 17, 2020), p. E857
Senator Benjamin Cardin, “National Hispanic Heritage Month,” remarks in the Senate,
Congressional Record, daily edition, vol. 165, no. 162 (October 15, 2019), pp. S5785-S5786
Representative Ross Spano, “Recognizing Hispanic Heritage Month,” remarks in the House,
Congressional Record, daily edition, vol. 165, no. 162 (October 15, 2019), p. H8140
Presidential Proclamations
One of the many uses of a presidential proclamation is to ceremoniously honor a group or cal
attention to certain issues or events. Some recent proclamations commemorating Hispanic
Heritage Month from the Compilation of Presidential Documents include the following:
Presidential Proclamations—Donald Trump (2017-2020)
Presidential Proclamations—Barack Obama (2009-2016)
Presidential Proclamations—George W. Bush (2001-2008)
Presidential Proclamations—Bil Clinton (1993-2000)
Presidential proclamations and remarks from 1993 to the present are available through
the govinfo service on the Government Publishing Office website. Earlier remarks are available
through The American Presidency Project, established by the University of California, Santa
Barbara.
Statistics
Many federal agencies and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) maintain statistics on
Hispanics, including the following:
U.S. Census Bureau, Facts for Features, Hispanic Heritage Month 2020. Quick statistics on
population, states and counties, businesses, families and children, language, income, poverty,
health insurance, education, jobs, voting, and national service.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Minority Health, Profile:
Hispanic/Latino Americans. Broad profiles on language, education, income and employment,
insurance coverage, and health.
Pew Research Center, Facts on U.S. Latinos. Interactive statistical profiles of the Latino
population in the 50 states and the District of Columbia based on Pew Research Center
tabulations of the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2010, 2015 and 2017 American Community Survey
(ACS) and the 2000 U.S. decennial census.
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National Hispanic Heritage Month: Fact Sheet
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Health of Hispanic or Latino Population.
Information and statistics on health issues from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s
National Center for Health Statistics.
Educational, Cultural, and Advocacy Organizations
Many other resources provide information on the history and culture of Hispanic Heritage Month.
Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI). Internships, fel owships, scholarships, and
educational publications and resources.
Smithsonian Latino Center. Exhibitions, research, collections, and educational programs
promoting Latino heritage and culture in the United States.
League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC). An advocacy group that “advances the
economic condition, educational attainment, political influence, health and civil rights of
Hispanic Americans through community-based programs.”
UNIDOS US. Formerly NCLR, UNIDOS US is a national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy
organization that provides a Latino perspective in seven key areas: assets and investments, civil
rights and criminal justice, education, employment and economic status, health, immigration,
voting, and youth.
Historical and Cultural Resources
Numerous government resources provide information on the history and culture of Hispanic
Heritage Month. Some of these include the following:
Library of Congress, “Library of Congress Resources for Hispanic Heritage Month.” Describes
some of the resources the Library of Congress holds that are relevant to Hispanic Heritage Month,
including music from Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the Chicano Civil Rights Movement.
Library of Congress, Hispanic Reading Room. Serves as the primary access point for research
relating to parts of the world encompassing the geographical areas of the Caribbean, Latin
America, and Iberia; the indigenous cultures of those areas; and peoples throughout the world
historical y influenced by Luso-Hispanic heritage, including Latinos in the United States and
people of Portuguese or Spanish heritage in Africa, Asia, and Oceania.
National Hispanic Heritage Month. Provides images, collections, and audio and video on topics
such as Spanish missions, Hispanic veterans, history, and art. This is a collaborative project of the
Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the
Humanities, National Gal ery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution, and U.S.
Holocaust Memorial Museum.
National Park Service, “National Register of Historic Places Program: National Hispanic Heritage
Month.” Highlights several locations that exemplify Hispanic culture and achievement, including
the Lamesa Farm Workers Community Historic District in western Texas.
Smithsonian Insider, “Latino Experience is in Focus at African American History and Culture
Museum.” An interview with Ariana Curtis, the curator of Latino studies at the Smithsonian
African American History and Culture Museum. It includes an introduction to the term Afro-
Latino.
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National Hispanic Heritage Month: Fact Sheet
Author Information
Gary Sidor
Senior Technical Information Specialist
Acknowledgments
This fact sheet was originally authored by Molly Higgins, former Reference and Data Services Librarian .
Disclaimer
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shared staff to congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and
under the direction of Congress. Information in a CRS Report should n ot be relied upon for purposes other
than public understanding of information that has been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in
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