Latiné Heritage Month is celebrated each year from September 15 t o October 15 and provides more time to properly recognize the significant c ontributions Latiné/Latino/Hispanic Americans have made in the United State s. The timeframe of this month is significant because many Central A merican countries celebrate their independence days within these dates\, be ginning on September 15 with Costa Rica\, El Salvador\, Guatemala\, Hondura s\, and Nicaragua. This far-from-monolithic group\, constituted by over 62 million people living in the United States\, represents a diverse set of re sidents and citizens whose origins spanning from over 26 Spanish and Portug uese speaking countries and a myr iad of rich and fascinating backgrounds. 14.4 million Latinos identi fy as Afro-Latinos\, a quarter of Hisp anics consider themselves indigenous or Native American. And 22% of Latino millennials are more likely to identify as proud members of th e LGBTQ community.

Many Hispanic Americans can trace their roots back to the cultures of the Americas’ indigenous peoples\, including the Aztecs (Mexico)\, Arawa ks (Puerto Rico)\, Aztecs (Mexico)\, Incas (South America)\, Maya (Central America) and Tainos (in Cuba and Puerto Rico).

This observation began in 1968 under President Lyndon Johnson as Hispanic Heritage Week. Presiden t Ronald Reagan expanded it in 1988 to include a 30-day period that started on September 15th and ended on October 15. The Public Law 100-402 approved it\, and it was made law on August 17\, 1988.