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Did you know that National Hispanic Heritage Month began as National Hispanic Week? When President Lydon B. Johnson signed Law 90-48 National Hispanic Heritage Week came into being. September 15 and 16 were chosen to start the week as an honor our Central and South American neighbors gaining their independence from Spain. The objective of the week was to give communities time and resources to observe cultural practices and ceremonies of the Hispanic community.
Representative Esteban E. Torres, of California, felt that a week was not enough time to honor important Hispanic American figures and their achievements. So, in 1987 he put a bill before the House of Representatives to extend the week to a month. In 1988 Senator Paul Simon, of Illinois, submitted the bill to the Senate and President Ronald Reagan signed it into law of August 17, 1988. Andโฆ Hispanic Heritage Month came into being!
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