In 1968, Congress authorized President Lyndon B.Johnson to proclaim National Hispanic Heritage Week. The observance was expanded in 1988 by President Reagan to a month-long celebration (Sept. 15 - Oct. 15). America celebrates the culture and traditions of U.S. residents who trace their roots to Spain, Mexico and the Spanish-speaking nations of Central America, South America and the Caribbean.
Sept. 15 was chosen as the starting point for the celebration because it is the anniversary of independence of five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on Sept. 16 and Sept. 18, respectively.
Each year from September 15th through October 15th, the United States celebrates Hispanic Heritage month to recognize the economic, cultural and social contributions of more than 44.3 million Hispanics
in the United States.