National Hispanic Heritage Month - wikipedia National Hispanic Heritage Month National Hispanic Heritage Month is the period from September 15 to October 15 in the United States, when people recognize the contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans to the group 's heritage and culture. Contents 1 History 2 Events 3 Observances 4 References 5 External links History Hispanic Heritage Week was established by legislation sponsored by Rep. Edward R. Roybal ( D - Los Angeles ) first proclaimed President Lyndon Johnson in 1968. The commemorative week was expanded by legislation sponsored by Rep. Esteban E. Torres ( D - Pico Rivera ) and implemented by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30 - day period ( September 15 - October 15 ). It was enacted into law on August 17, 1988 on the approval of Public Law 100 - 402. September 15 was chosen as the starting point for the celebration because it is the anniversary of independence of five Latin American countries : Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. All declared independence in 1821. In addition, Mexico, Chile and Belize celebrate their independence days on September 16, September 18, and September 21, respectively. Hispanic Heritage Month ( HHM ) also celebrates the long and important presence of Hispanic and Latino Americans in North America. A map of late 18th - century North America shows this presence, from the small outpost of San Francisco founded in Alta California in 1776, through the Spanish province of Texas with its vaqueros ( cowboys ), to the fortress of St. Augustine, Florida -- the first colonial settlement in North America, founded in 1513, ninety - four years before the English landed in Jamestown, Virginia. Events President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump commemorate National Hispanic Heritage Month, October 6, 2017 During HHM, communities celebrate the achievements and contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans with community festivals, government - sponsored activities and educational activities for students. Northwest Arkansas Hispanic Heritage Festival, located in Fayetteville, Arkansas, established 2013 by the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce. The El Barrio Latin Jazz festival : This event in the Bronx, NYC starts on September 15 and continues through September 25. People attending the event can learn more about the Latin music scene in Harlem and its global impact while enjoying live jazz performances. The Smithsonian Institution hosts Hispanic Heritage Month events in Washington, D.C. Observances On September 13, 1988, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed National Hispanic Heritage Month. References ^ Jump up to : `` The Creation and Evolution of the National Hispanic Heritage Celebration House of Representatives : History, Art & Archives ''. history.house.gov. Retrieved 2015 - 10 - 03. Jump up ^ Encyclopedia of Bilingual Education. SAGE Publications. 2008 - 06 - 05. ISBN 9781452265964. Jump up ^ `` National Hispanic Heritage Month 2016 - Home ''. Retrieved 16 September 2016. Jump up ^ `` Hispanic Heritage Festival ''. Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce Fayetteville, AR. Retrieved 2016 - 06 - 01. Jump up ^ Office of the Press Secretary ( September 13, 2017 ). `` President Donald J. Trump Proclaims September 15 through October 15, 2017, as National Hispanic Heritage Month ''. whitehouse.gov. Washington, D.C. : White House. Retrieved September 21, 2017. Jump up ^ Associated Press ( September 13, 2017 ). `` President Trump proclaims National Hispanic Heritage Month ''. WTIC - TV. Hartford, Connecticut : Tribune Broadcasting ( sale to Sinclair Broadcast Group pending ). Retrieved September 21, 2017. Jump up ^ `` National Hispanic Heritage Month, 2017 '' ( PDF ). Federal Register. Washington, D.C. : National Archives and Records Administration. September 13, 2017. Archived from the original on September 18, 2017. Retrieved September 21, 2017. Bibliography Weber, David J. ( 1992 ). The Spanish Frontier in North America. New Haven : Yale University Press. ISBN 0 - 300 - 05198 - 0. Fernández - Shaw, Carlos M. ( 1987 ). La Presencia Española en Los Estados Unidos. Madrid : Instituto de Cooperación Iberoamericana. ISBN 0 - 8160 - 2314 - X. McDermott, John Francis ( 1974 ). The Spanish in the Mississippi Valley 1762 - 1804. Urbana, IL : University of Illinois Press. ISBN 0 - 252 - 00269 - 5. McDermott, John Francis. The Spanish in the Mississippi Valley 1762 - 1804. Urbana, IL. El Barrio Latin Jazz Festival http://www.elbarriolatinjazzfestival.com/. Retrieved 12 December 2016. Missing or empty title = ( help ) El Barrio Latin Jazz Festival http://www.elbarriolatinjazzfestival.com/. Retrieved 12 December 2016. Missing or empty title = ( help ) External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to National Hispanic Heritage Month. Holidays, observances, and celebrations in the United States January New Year 's Day ( federal ) Martin Luther King Jr. Day ( federal ) Confederate Heroes Day ( TX ) Fred Korematsu Day ( CA, FL, HI, VA ) Idaho Human Rights Day ( ID ) Inauguration Day ( federal quadrennial, DC area ) Kansas Day ( KS ) Lee -- Jackson Day ( formerly Lee -- Jackson -- King Day ) ( VA ) Robert E. Lee Day ( FL ) Stephen Foster Memorial Day ( 36 ) The Eighth ( LA, former federal ) January -- February Super Bowl Sunday February American Heart Month Black History Month Washington 's Birthday / Presidents ' Day ( federal ) Valentine 's Day Georgia Day ( GA ) Groundhog Day Lincoln 's Birthday ( CA, CT, IL, IN, MO, NJ, NY, WV ) National Girls and Women in Sports Day National Freedom Day ( 36 ) Primary Election Day ( WI ) Ronald Reagan Day ( CA ) Rosa Parks Day ( CA, MO ) Susan B. Anthony Day ( CA, FL, NY, WI, WV, proposed federal ) February -- March Mardi Gras Ash Wednesday ( religious ) Courir de Mardi Gras ( religious ) Super Tuesday March Irish - American Heritage Month National Colon Cancer Awareness Month Women 's History Month St. Patrick 's Day ( religious ) Spring break ( week ) Casimir Pulaski Day ( IL ) Cesar Chavez Day ( CA, CO, TX, proposed federal ) Evacuation Day ( Suffolk County, MA ) Harriet Tubman Day ( NY ) Holi ( NY, religious ) Mardi Gras ( AL ( in two counties ), LA ) Maryland Day ( MD ) National Poison Prevention Week ( week ) Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole Day ( HI ) Saint Joseph 's Day ( religious ) Seward 's Day ( AK ) Texas Independence Day ( TX ) Town Meeting Day ( VT ) March -- April Easter ( religious ) Palm Sunday ( religious ) Passover ( religious ) Good Friday ( CT, NC, PR, religious ) Easter Monday ( religious ) April Confederate History Month 420 Day April Fools ' Day Arbor Day Confederate Memorial Day ( AL, MS ) Days of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust ( week ) Earth Day Emancipation Day ( DC ) Thomas Jefferson 's Birthday ( AL ) Pascua Florida ( FL ) Patriots ' Day ( MA, ME ) San Jacinto Day ( TX ) Siblings Day Walpurgis Night ( religious ) May Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Jewish American Heritage Month Memorial Day ( federal ) Mother 's Day ( 36 ) Cinco de Mayo Harvey Milk Day ( CA ) Law Day ( 36 ) Loyalty Day ( 36 ) Malcolm X Day ( CA, IL, proposed federal ) May Day Military Spouse Day National Day of Prayer ( 36 ) National Defense Transportation Day ( 36 ) National Maritime Day ( 36 ) Peace Officers Memorial Day ( 36 ) Truman Day ( MO ) June Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month Father 's Day ( 36 ) Bunker Hill Day ( Suffolk County, MA ) Carolina Day ( SC ) Emancipation Day In Texas / Juneteenth ( TX ) Flag Day ( 36, proposed federal ) Helen Keller Day ( PA ) Honor America Days ( 3 weeks ) Jefferson Davis Day ( AL, FL ) Kamehameha Day ( HI ) Odunde Festival ( Philadelphia, PA ) Senior Week ( week ) West Virginia Day ( WV ) July Independence Day ( federal ) Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea ( HI, unofficial ) Parents ' Day ( 36 ) Pioneer Day ( UT ) July -- August Summer vacation August American Family Day ( AZ ) Barack Obama Day ( IL ) Bennington Battle Day ( VT ) Hawaii Admission Day / Statehood Day ( HI ) Lyndon Baines Johnson Day ( TX ) National Aviation Day ( 36 ) Service Reduction Day ( MD ) Victory over Japan Day ( RI, former federal ) Women 's Equality Day ( 36 ) September Prostate Cancer Awareness Month Labor Day ( federal ) California Admission Day ( CA ) Carl Garner Federal Lands Cleanup Day ( 36 ) Constitution Day ( 36 ) Constitution Week ( week ) Defenders Day ( MD ) Gold Star Mother 's Day ( 36 ) National Grandparents Day ( 36 ) National Payroll Week ( week ) Native American Day ( CA, TN, proposed federal ) Patriot Day ( 36 ) September -- October Hispanic Heritage Month Oktoberfest Rosh Hashanah ( religious ) Yom Kippur ( religious ) October Breast Cancer Awareness Month Disability Employment Awareness Month Filipino American History Month LGBT History Month Columbus Day ( federal ) Halloween Alaska Day ( AK ) Child Health Day ( 36 ) General Pulaski Memorial Day German - American Day Indigenous Peoples ' Day ( VT ) International Day of Non-Violence Leif Erikson Day ( 36 ) Missouri Day ( MO ) National School Lunch Week Native American Day ( SD ) Nevada Day ( NV ) Sweetest Day White Cane Safety Day ( 36 ) October -- November Diwali ( religious ) November Native American Indian Heritage Month Veterans Day ( federal ) Thanksgiving ( federal ) Day after Thanksgiving ( 24 ) Election Day ( CA, DE, HI, KY, MT, NJ, NY, OH, PR, WV, proposed federal ) Family Day ( NV ) Hanukkah ( religious ) Lā Kūʻokoʻa ( HI, unofficial ) Native American Heritage Day ( MD, WA ) Obama Day ( Perry County, AL ) December Christmas ( religious, federal ) Alabama Day ( AL ) Christmas Eve ( KY, NC, SC ) Day after Christmas ( KY, NC, SC, TX ) Festivus Hanukkah ( religious, week ) Indiana Day ( IN ) Kwanzaa ( religious, week ) National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day ( 36 ) New Year 's Eve Pan American Aviation Day ( 36 ) Rosa Parks Day ( OH, OR ) Wright Brothers Day ( 36 ) Varies ( year round ) Eid al - Adha ( religious ) Eid al - Fitr ( religious ) Ramadan ( religious, month ) Legend : ( federal ) = federal holidays, ( state ) = state holidays, ( religious ) = religious holidays, ( week ) = weeklong holidays, ( month ) = monthlong holidays, ( 36 ) = Title 36 Observances and Ceremonies Bold indicates major holidays commonly celebrated in the United States, which often represent the major celebrations of the month. See also : Lists of holidays, Hallmark holidays, public holidays in the United States, New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands. Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=National_Hispanic_Heritage_Month&oldid=811799899 '' Categories : Commemorative months Hispanic and Latino American culture Observances in Canada Observances in the United States September observances October observances Hidden categories : Pages with citations lacking titles Pages with citations having bare URLs Talk Contents About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 24 November 2017, at 01 : 52. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: when did we start celebrating national hispanic heritage month
Answer: 1988