Hispanic Heritage Month 2022
Welcome to Hispanic Heritage Month 2022
The Hispanic Heritage observance began in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon B. Johnson and 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, on the approval of Public Law 100-402.
The day of September 15 is significant because it is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September18, respectively. Also, Columbus Day or Día de la Raza, which is October 12, falls within this 30 day period.
2022 Hispanic Heritage Month Poster
"WASHINGTON – The National Council of Hispanic Employment Program Managers (NCHEPM) today announced the poster selection to accompany the 2022 Hispanic Heritage Month national theme: Unidos: Inclusivity for a Stronger Nation. Both the theme and poster reinforce the need to ensure diverse voices and perspectives are welcomed in decision-making processes, thereby helping to build stronger communities and a stronger Nation. NCHEPM members, Federal agency partners, Employee Resource Groups and members of the general public selected the theme through a substantive voting process."
Unidos: Inclusivity for a Stronger Nation
Ms. Ily Soares, Supervisory Accountant at Farm Credit Administration (FCA)-Theme Winner
Ms. Ily Soares
“Hispanics in the United States are a diverse group who bring a rich combination of language, culture, educational backgrounds, and experience to the great American experiment. This diverse background brings with it a wealth of ideas and perspectives. One uniting factor within our Hispanic community is our desire to be included and represented in all aspects of American society. As has been proven, when different voices are sitting at the metaphorical table and included in key decisions, the entire community benefits from greater solutions that address concerns from all people. Whether it be education, government, business, or the environment, ensuring that all voices are represented provide results in better and more thoughtful decisions. These improved decisions support the greater good and minimize any negative impacts to marginalized communities and people of color. We call on citizens of this nation from all walks of life to look around and welcome new voices to the table. This will help us build stronger communities and in turn, a stronger nation.
Ideas for Celebrating Hispanic Heritage:
At school: Create a Spanish-language center in your classroom. Fill it with age-appropriate and engaging Spanish activities, such as word-matching dominoes, word-picture matches, and labeling activities.
At home: Try your hand at arepas, flat corn cakes often eaten in Colombia and Venezuela.
With friends: Watch the Hispanic Heritage Awards.
View a month's worth of ideas and resources below.
Teacher's Guide: Hispanic and Latino Heritage and History in the United States
Within the United States, “America” serves as shorthand for the country alone—but the national borders that separate the United States from the rest of the landmass that constitutes “the Americas,” North and South, are relatively recent creations. Even with the introduction and evolution of those borders, the histories of the United States and what we now call Latin America have remained thoroughly entwined, connected by geography, economy, imperialism, immigration, and culture.
Since 1988, the U.S. Government has set aside the period from September 15 to October 15 as National Hispanic Heritage Month to honor the many contributions Hispanic Americans have made and continue to make to the United States of America. Our Teacher's Guide brings together resources created during NEH Summer Seminars and Institutes, lesson plans for K-12 classrooms, and think pieces on events and experiences across Hispanic history and heritage.
In 2020, the U.S. Hispanic population was an estimated 62 million out of the total U.S. population of 331.4 million.
1. Bad bunny: Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio
2. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
3. Daddy Yankee
Influential Famous Hispanic Americans: Morning Announcements by Principal Donahue
1. Bad Bunny- music star and social activist who has recently become the first-ever Reggaeton & Trap artist to appear on the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine.
2. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez- Sworn in at the age of 29, she is the youngest women to be sworn into congress.
3. Daddy Yankee- Known for bringing reggaeton worldwide. He is the only Latin Artist with four Spanish-language entries on the Top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100.
4. Sonia Sotomayor- The first Hispanic Supreme Court justice
5. Shakira- Known for her music and choreography has become a social- political influencer when it comes to Education across the world.
6. Ellen Ochoa- First Hispanic female astronaut.
7. Roberto Clemente- Clemente was the first Hispanic baseball player to be inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame, he also helped pave the way for future generations of Latino baseball players to join the game.
8. Rita Moreno- First Hispanic woman to win an Academy Award and is one of few people to hold the honor of being a “PEGOT” winner, winning a Peabody, Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony award.
9. Lin-Manuel Miranda- Composer, lyricist, actor, writer, and activist. He’s most famous for having written the Broadway musical Hamilton
10. Gabriela Mistral- Poet and educator she became the first Hispanic to win the Noble Prize in literature.
11. Frida Kahlo- was a painter known for her vivid use of color and self-portraits. She was the first Hispanic artist to sell a painting for over $1 million.
12. Dolores Huerta- Worked as an elementary school teacher and soon after became a civil rights and women’s activist. Co-founder of National Farm Workers Association (NFWA).
13. Selena Quintanilla- Paved the way for Tejano music artists after her time as well as becoming an emblem of possibility and hope for young women of color everywhere.
14. Maria Elena Salinas - First Latina journalist to win a Lifetime Achievement Emmy Award
15. Celia Cruz- Singer, most widely known as the queen of salsa
16. Laurie Hernandez- member of the 2016 U.S. Women’s team, recipient of silver and gold Olympic medals.
17. Oscar De La Hoya- Famous boxer, recipient of 10 world titles, and an Olympic gold medal.
18. Jose Andres- successful chef who founded the World Central Kitchen (WCK) an organization that provides meals to people affected by natural disasters.
19. Lionel Messi- Regarded as one of the best soccer players of all time.
20. Alfonso Cuaron- First Mexican director to win an Oscar for his film Gravity. Known for directing other films such as Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Children of Men, Great Expectations, and many more.
21. Julia Alvarez- Considered one of the most significant and successful Latina-American writers of her generation for works such as How the García Girls Lost Their Accents and In the Time of the Butterflies
22. Guillermo Del Torro- Famous Mexican director, producer, and screenwriter. Known for films such as, Pan’s Labyrinth, The Shape of Water, Nightmare Alley and much more.
23. J. Balvin- Musician known as “Prince of Reggaeton” he became the first Latino to headline world-musical events such as Coachella, Tomorrowland, and Lollapalooza.
24. Zoe Saldana- Famous actress known for her role as Gamora in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
25. Victoria Alonso- Head of production at Marvel Studios.
26. Cesar Chavez- Well-known labor leader and Latino American civil rights activists who also co-founded the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA).
27. Antonia Novella- First woman to become Surgeon General of the United States, as well as the first Hispanic to serve the role.
28. Gabriel Garcia Marquez- Author, journalist, political activist, Noble Prize winner. Most notably known for his books One Hundred Years of Solitude and Love in the Time of Cholera
29. Eva Longoria- Commonly known for her work in Desperate Housewives she is also a businesswoman, has a Masters in Chicano studies, and founded the Eva Longoria Foundation supporting Latina entrepreneurship.
30. Jennifer Lopez- Became the first Latin artist to earn over one million dollars for a movie roll.
31. Sylvia Mendez- Civil rights activist, her parents fought to desegregate California schools in the 1940s Mendez v. Westminster case. The Mendez case ended as the first successful federal school desegregation decision in the nation.
4. Sonia Sotomayor
5. Shakira
6. Ellen Ochoa
Hispanic Heritage Award Nominees
About the 35th Hispanic Heritage Awards
Join PBS, the Hispanic Heritage Foundation, and host Stephanie Beatriz ("Encanto"; "In the Heights") as we celebrate 35 years and a new class of Hispanic Heritage Award honorees. Started by the White House to commemorate the establishment of Hispanic Heritage Month in America, the Hispanic Heritage Awards are among the highest honors given to US Latinos by Latinos.
Past honorees include Justice Sonia Sotomayor; Dolores Huerta; Fania All-Stars; Celia Cruz; Linda Ronstadt; Carlos Santana; Gael Garcia Bernal; Salma Hayek; Pedro Martinez; John Leguizamo; Dr. Ellen Ochoa; and right up to the continued relevancy of recent winners such as NASA Engineers Christina Hernández, Clara O’Farrell, and Diana Trujillo; Carlos Santana, Bad Bunny, Ivy Queen, Zoe Saldana, Residente, Selena Gomez and more inspiring figures.
To commemorate the 35th anniversary, the Hispanic Heritage Foundation honors:
Marvel Studios Executive Victoria Alonso | 2022 Vision Award
First Latina military pilot Olga E. Custodio, Lt. Col., USAFR (Ret.) | 2022 STEM Award
Rock and folk icons Los Lobos (2022 Arts Award)
Oscar, SAG, BAFTA, and Golden Globe winner Ariana DeBose | 2022 Inspira Award
Sustainable entrepreneurs Alejandro Velez and Nikhil Arora | 2022 Entrepreneurship Award
Legendary reggaetonero Daddy Yankee | 2022 Legend Award
With performances by Carlos Vives, Julieta Venegas, Boza, Hector Tellez Jr and REM’s Peter Buck, Aymée Nuviola, and more.