Starting September 15 and lasting for 30 days, is Hispanic Heritage Month. Hispanic Heritage Month is an important time, set aside, to remember all of the people that have worked so hard to make this country what it is today, and celebrate the rich cultural diversity of America. There are so many great Hispanic & Latin American people to remember and even more to discover for the first time: Rita Hayworth from the golden age of Hollywood, Nydia Velazquez, the First Puerto Rican woman to serve in the House of Representatives, Nobel Prize winner in physics Luis W. Alverez, Pulitzer prize winning author Junot Díaz, Roberto C. Goizueta, the Former president and current chairman of the board of Coca Cola, and NASA astronaut Ellen Ochoa.

But how did Hispanic Heritage Month come about? The observation started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon 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. […] 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. Via

We will be exploring the roles of different Hispanic Heroes throughout September. But if you can’t wait, here are a few links to tide you over!