Hispanic Heritage Month

Hispanic: Relating to Spain or to Spanish-speaking countries, especially those of Latin American 

Latino(a): A person of Latin American origin or descent 

Latinx: A person of Latin American origin or descent. Used as a gender-neutral or nonbinary alternative to Latino or Latina 

Chicano(a): an American of Mexican origin or descent 

First Generation: designating the first of a generation to become a citizen in a new country 

Definitions from Oxford Languages

United States: Hispanic or Latino population makes up about 18.9% or about 62.7 million in the United States 

Florida: Hispanic or Latino population makes up about 26.8% or about 5.8 million in Florida 

Orange County: Hispanic or Latino population makes up about 33.1% or about 470,928 in Orange County 

Population statistics based on data from the US Census and the Pew Research Center. 

• September 30, 1822: Joseph Marion Hernandez becomes the first Hispanic to serve in Congress served until March 3, 1823. 
• March 2, 1917: The Jones-Shafroth Act is signed by President Wilson granting US citizenship to Puerto Ricans. 
• December 7, 1928: Octaviano Ambrosio Larrazolo becomes the first Hispanic sworn in as Senator of New Mexico. 

Source: New Mexico Historical Society 

• August 4, 1942: The Mexican Farm Labor Agreement is signed by the US and Mexico to allow Mexican agricultural workers to work short-term in the US. 
• July 2, 1964: The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson. One outcome was the end of segregation that affected Black Americans and Mexican-Americans at the time. 
• March 17, 1966: Cesar Chavez leads a Latino and Filipino farm workers march to demand improved worker conditions. 

Source: Wikimedia Commons

• September 17, 1968: President Lyndon B. Johnson signed Proclamation 3869 declaring the week beginning September 15th as Hispanic Heritage Week. 
• March 20, 1973: Roberto Clemente is inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame posthumously. 
• August, 17, 1988: Public Law 100-402 was signed into law declaring September 15-October 15 as Hispanic Heritage Month. 
• September 21, 1988: Dr. Lauro Cavazos becomes the first Hispanic to serve on a presidential cabinet as Secretary of Education. 
• August 29, 1989: Ileana Ros-Lehtinen becomes the first Hispanic woman to be elected to Congress. 
• January 22, 1993: Federico Pena, Denver's first Hispanic mayor, becomes the first Hispanic US Secretary of Transportation. 
• April 8, 1993: Ellen Ochoa becomes the first Hispanic woman in space serving on a 9 day mission on Space Shuttle Discovery. 

Source: NASA

• January 22, 2003: US Census data establishes Hispanics as the largest minority group in the US with a population of 37 million. 
• August 8, 2009: Sonia Sotomayor is sworn in as the first Hispanic Supreme Court Justice and the third woman to serve on the court. 

A Pew Research Center survey found that the majority of Latinos have not heard or use the term Latinx but it is a term that is still relatively new. However, the use of the term has increased over the last several years especially among younger Latinos.