Honoring Hispanic Heritage Month

This year, National Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated from Monday, September 15, 2025 to Wednesday, October 15, 2025. Hispanic Heritage Month in 1968 as a week-long celebration under President Lyndon B. Johnson. Twenty years later, President Ronald Reagan extended the week into a month-long observance honoring the history, culture, traditions, and contributions of Americans with Hispanic origins.

Within our community, the month is marked in a variety of ways. Chester County’s Brandywine Valley hosted a Hispanic Heritage Festival on September 13 in Kennett Square, featuring music, performances, authentic food, vendors, and family fun. West Chester University also commemorated Hispanic Heritage Month with the Global Hispanic Film Festival, running from September 22 to October 27.

While celebrations are a key part of Hispanic Heritage Month, it is more than just festivities - it is a time for reflection. The month encourages everyone to honor the resilience, struggles, and achievements of Hispanic Americans. Its purpose is broad and meaningful: fostering pride, promoting understanding, and elevating stories that deserve to be remembered so they can continue to inspire and make a difference.

By celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, our community not only honors the past of Hispanic Americans but also embraces the richness of their culture in the present. It is an opportunity to learn, share, and recognize the diverse heritage that shapes our nation and to remember that this culture is not confined to a single month. Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated well beyond U.S. borders, with showcases of Spanish-speaking cultures around the globe. In Spain, La Fiesta Nacional on October 12 marks the country’s history that ties the Spanish-speaking world. While many Latin American countries mark Día de la Hispanidad with parades, music, and food. Mexico to Argentina, Philippines, and Equatorial Guinea hosts festivals and cultural events to connect Hispanic roots to communities across continents.