Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with NLC’s HELO

By:

Rita Soler Ossolinski
Eli Craveiro Frankel

October 1, 2024 - (6 min read)

Leadership

As we enter the 56^th annual commemoration of Hispanic/Latino heritage in the United States, it is an opportunity to reflect on the history of the Hispanic Elected Local Officials (HELO) — one of NLC’s six constituency groups. Founded in 1976, HELO has a proud history of leadership within NLC. We wanted to honor that history and acknowledge our own past presidents during this year’s Hispanic Heritage Month commemoration. You will see that compilation below.

This is also an opportunity to acknowledge HELO’s commitment to serving its members as a caucus that provides space for members to make meaningful connections with fellow Latino and Hispanic local officials, share best practices and advocate for policies that benefit their community.

Each year, HELO:

Invites members to attend convenings to learn about innovative programs and practices to advance the well-being of your Latino residents
Provides guidance to the NLC Board of Directors and Federal Advocacy Committees to advise on NLC’s work
Creates opportunities for the exchange of ideas on solutions to challenges you are facing as you lead your city
Meets with key federal and congressional leaders to increase their awareness of the needs of Latinos at the local level
Provides a space of camaraderie for Latino local leaders at NLC

The Story of Hispanic Heritage Month

A single week-long designation of Hispanic Heritage Week originated in 1968 and was expanded to an entire month in 1988. The timing coincides with the anniversaries of independence from Spain for eight Latin American countries between September 15 and September 21, 1821. But why designate a full week, and now a full month, to highlight the Hispanic/Latino culture in the United States? Our nation is one of immigrants; we would be hard-pressed to name a nation not represented in today’s U.S. population. Waves of immigrants from around the globe have populated our country through the decades. So, why is this special designation of Hispanic Heritage every September?

The key word is heritage, and a quick glance at the 18th-century map of North America below underscores the expansive Spanish settlement and presence on the continent in our early national evolution. Spain’s influence covers a wide swath from Northern California, through the southwest and Texas, much of the Midwest, and then southeast to the southern tip of Florida. The names of eight of our states derive from Spanish origin, not to mention countless cities, mountain ranges and rivers. The Spanish cultural influence is embedded in our geography.

Hispanic/Latino Population Growth Since 1980

The Hispanic/Latino population has grown since the question was added to the 1970 Census — another affirmation of the reason to celebrate Hispanic heritage in the United States.

According to Census records, the percentage of Hispanics/Latinos in the U.S. has shown consistent growth since the 1970 Census. In 1970, it was estimated that 9.6 million Hispanics in the United States made up approximately five percent of the population. Between 2010 and 2020, the population grew by 23%, from 50.5 to 62.1 million. As of 2020, Hispanics/Latinos make up nearly 19 percent of the U.S. population, and the majority are U.S.-born.

Hispanic v. Latino/a/x

Textbook definitions do little to persuade individuals who identify with one over the other of these two interchanging identifiers. The Census Bureau’s definition of Hispanic or Latino Origin is broad: “Hispanic or Latino” refers to a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race. Those of us who trace our origins to Latin America — including from countries where Latin-based languages are spoken other than Spanish — prefer Latino/Latina (or the newer Latinx and Latina as non-gendered options). Those of us who have ancestral roots in Spain may gravitate toward Hispanics. Either can be judged to be more inclusive or less inclusive. HELO and NLC embrace both.

Visit the National Museum of the American Latino for more resources on Hispanic Heritage Month.