National Hispanic Heritage Month: Fact Sheet
Updated September 18, 2023
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
annual 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 annually 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). The commemorative observance is codified in 36 U.S.C. 126.
In recent years, the Senate has passed resolutions recognizing National Hispanic Heritage Month:
• S.Res. 782, September 20, 2022;
• S.Res. 417, October 18, 2021;
• 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 R47470, Membership of the 118th 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.
Two congressional caucus groups seek to advance and protect the interests of Hispanic Members
of Congress. The Congressional Hispanic Caucus was founded in 1976, and the Congressional
Hispanic Conference was formed in 2003. Historically, caucus participation was unified by
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National Hispanic Heritage Month: Fact Sheet
cultural priorities and was mostly nonpartisan; in more recent years there may be some more
correlation with political affiliation.
Selected 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.
Representative Jason Crow, “Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month,” Extensions of Remarks,
Congressional Record, daily edition, vol. 168, no. 163 (October 14, 2022), pp. E1045-E1046
Representative Dan Newhouse, “National Hispanic Heritage Month,” Extensions of Remarks,
Congressional Record, daily edition, vol. 168, no. 159 (September 30, 2022), p. E1005
Senator Richard Durbin, “Hispanic Heritage Month,” remarks in the Senate, Congressional
Record, daily edition, vol. 168, no. 157 (September 28, 2022), pp. S5170-S5171
Representative Tony Cardenas, “Hispanic Heritage Month,” remarks in the House, Congressional
Record, daily edition, vol. 168, no. 151 (September 20, 2022), p. H7975
Representative Don Bacon, “National Hispanic Heritage Month,” remarks in the House,
Congressional Record, daily edition, vol. 168, no. 148 (September 14, 2022), p. H7792
Senator Benjamin L. Cardin, “Hispanic Heritage Month,” remarks in the Senate, Congressional
Record, daily edition, vol. 167, no. 177 (October 7, 2021), pp. S6995-S6996
Senator John Cornyn, “Hispanic Heritage Month,” remarks in the Senate, Congressional Record,
daily edition, vol. 166, no. 166 (September 24, 2020), pp. S5848-S5849
Presidential Proclamations
One of the many uses of a presidential proclamation is to ceremoniously honor a group or call
attention to certain issues or events. Some recent proclamations commemorating Hispanic
Heritage Month from the Compilation of Presidential Documents include the following:
• Presidential Proclamations—Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (2021-)
• Presidential Proclamations—Donald J. Trump (2017-2021)
• Presidential Proclamations—Barack H. Obama (2009-2017)
• Presidential Proclamations—George W. Bush (2001-2009)
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:
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National Hispanic Heritage Month: Fact Sheet
U.S. Census Bureau, Facts for Features, Hispanic Heritage Month 2023. 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, Key Facts About U.S. Latinos for National Hispanic Heritage Month.
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 American
Community Survey (ACS), the Current Population Survey, and the U.S. Decennial Census.
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.
Cultural and Advocacy Organizations
Many other resources provide information on the history and culture of Hispanic Heritage Month.
Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI). Internships, fellowships, scholarships, and
educational publications and resources.
Smithsonian National Museum of the American Latino. 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. A national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy group (formerly NCLR) 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.
Educational, Historical and Cultural Resources
Numerous government and other organization resources provide information on the history and
culture of Hispanic Heritage Month. Some of these include the following:
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 Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution, and U.S.
Holocaust Memorial Museum.
National Geographic, “National Hispanic and Latin American Heritage Month.” Celebrates the
history, contributions, influence, and accomplishments of Hispanic, Latino, Latina, and Latinx
people in the United States through educational resources.
Smithsonian National Museum of the American Latino, “Hispanic Heritage Month Resources.”
Exhibitions, research, collections, and educational programs promoting Latino heritage and
culture in the United States.
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
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National Hispanic Heritage Month: Fact Sheet
America, and Iberia; the indigenous cultures of those areas; and peoples throughout the world
historically influenced by Luso-Hispanic heritage, including Latinos in the United States and
people of Portuguese or Spanish heritage in Africa, Asia, and Oceania.
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.
U.S. Department of Education, “National Hispanic Heritage Month.” Provides links to a range of
federal agencies observing National Hispanic Heritage Month.
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.
Author Information
Gary Sidor
Senior Technical Information Specialist
Acknowledgments
This fact sheet was originally authored by Molly Higgins, a former Reference and Data Services Librarian.
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Disclaimer
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under the direction of Congress. Information in a CRS Report should not 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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