16 Exciting Ways to Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

As a woman who is very proud of her heritage, I am finding myself so exited to jump into this hispanic heritage month and celebrate!

It is kind of wild that prior to becoming involved in my workplace diversity, I really never heard much about Hispanic Heritage Month. Maybe I had heard about it but I was just not awake enough to pay attention. Or perhaps, now that the needle has been moved and there is so much more awareness out there, it is just a higher priority of conversation. Either way, I am here for it and all in!

I highly recommend committing some of your time in engaging in this Hispanic Heritage month whether you are hispanic or not. Trust me, you will not regret it, even for just the food alone. Engaging more about any culture can only make one a better human. And the hispanic culture screams warmth, joy and celebration. Now who doesn’t want a part of that!

Read on for 16 Exiting Ways to Engage in National Hispanic Heritage Month.

What is it?

A month long celebration in the U.S. from September 15 – October 15 in which we recognize and celebrate Hispanic Americans history, culture, and contributions!

It started as a week long celebration, recognized by Lyndon B Johnson in 1968. By 1988, President Ronald Reagan expanded it to a month long celebration and it was enacted into law August 17, 1988.

So Why The 15th?

I will be honest, initially I thought it was so random to start a month long celebration in the middle of a months, so of course I had to find out why.

This date is significant as it is the anniversary of independence for several Latin American countries; Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. This is followed by Mexico’s Independence on the 16th and Chile on the 18th.

Now that we know the when, why and what, let’s talk about all the ways HOW you can celebrate!

Ways to Celebrate

1. Watch a Ted Talk

A quick Google search led me to several promising talks. However, with so many options, sometimes it is better to have resource to narrow it down. I found this post from the Mujerista that provided some pretty compelling topics for Ted talks by Hispanics if you would like some direction.

2. Find a local event to attend.

Many cities have special speakers, or exhibits that showcase hispanic culture that are free or at a minimal fee. If there is nothing local, you can find some online workshops and events through the Smithsonian.

3. Fly Your Flag

You can fly a flag of your Latin roots. Or snag one for Hispanic Heritage Month to show pride or support.

4. Read a book from a hispanic author.

Pablo Neruda has some pretty exceptional poems. Miguel De Cervantes wrote the historic work, Don Quixote. Some other authors to consider are Octavia Paz, Isabel Allende, Juan Ramon Jiménes, and Gabriel García Márquez – to name a few.

5. Study a country.

Pick a hispanic country you have always longed to visit or know more about and research it. Some great resources are travel guides, books, magazines and the internet. But the best way to really get to know the culture is by asking questions to someone from that country.

You can take it one step further and…

6. Plan a trip to a hispanic country or territory.

Figure out what cities you want to go to and attractions to see. Then build an itinerary. Even if you don’t take the trip now or ever, it would be an interesting exercise. This sounds extra fun to me.

7. Learn a new word every day.

According to worldpopulationreview.com, there are 442 million people that speak Spanish worldwide. In the U.S., 23% of the population speaks Spanish which doesn’t sound like a lot but is actually about 52 million.

I will start you off with your first word:

CLARO = of course.

8. Patronize a locally owned hispanic restaurant.

I was a really picky eater growing up so eating authentic food was not a fun experience for me BUT the flavors and seasoning of most hispanic food were right up my ally! Luckily, I live in an area where Puerto Rican restaurants are trending so there are quite a few places around to get my fix. Of course, you can also never go wrong with some amazing Mexican cuisine (I mean, who doesn’t love tacos!) Salvadorian Pupuserias and Spanish tapas bars have been popping up more and more as well.

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9. Cook a hispanic meal or try a new recipe.

I love a good taco and make them every week, as I am sure many of you do. BUT I would challenge you to step outside of your comfort zone a little and look into a new recipe of something you have never made before. There are so many amazing options: enchiladas, empanadas, arroz, paella, arepas, plantain, tres leches cake and so many more. Although some of these traditional hispanic foods are similar, the recipes you will find to make them can vary quite a bit.

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10. Enjoy Art exhibits

In my hispanic studies and travels, there was always a ton on emphasis on hispanic artists. If you have a chance, look into the incredible works by Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso, Frida Kahlo, Francisco Goya, Diego Velazquez amongst so many more.

11. Listen to hispanic music.

There are so many types of music throughout the hispanic community with incredible artists. Some of my go-tos are Shakira, Santana, Gondwana, Pitbull, Jennifer Lopez and Celia Cruz. You could also just set you Amazon Music or Spotify to a Spanish Playlist or station and you can discover what you like.

12. Learn a Latin Dance style

You can find local Dance classes or find online instruction. I have found salsa and merengue to be super fun dances to learn. You can also learn tango, bachata, flamenco, samba to name a few.

13. Support a local hispanic-owned business.

A quick Google search should help you find a business in your area that you can support. Of you can’t find a local business, you can research small businesses owned by Hispanics online.

14. Watch a Telenovela

Have you ever found yourself watching one? They are fascinating! Even when I don’t understand a word they are saying, they are just insanely entertaining. Most times they are so overdramarized that you understand what is going on. This is basically a more exaggerated daytime soap opera that only runs from about a couple months to a year and a half. But I must warn you, you will need to use suspension of disbelief!

15. Kick back and watch a movie!

There are so many talented hispanic actors and actresses to watch and support. Danny Trejo, John Leguizamo, Rita Morena, Andy Garcia, Benicio Del Toro and Selma Hayak can usually be found in worthwhile movies! If you need some suggestions you can read 12 Movies to Watch During Hispanic Heritage Month!

16. Watch a Latin based musical!

Claro! This post wouldn’t be me if I didn’t recommend a musical to watch! Make sure to check out West Side Story or In the Heights both of which I absolutely love.

I hope that you have found a couple exciting ways to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month over the next several weeks. The culture and people have been a fabric of our society since our land was first discovered and has helped to influence and shape our country. The options are endless! Time to celebrate!