Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to reflect upon and recognize the contributions made by Hispanic and Latino Americans to the United States while also celebrating their culture.
Hispanic Heritage Month begins each year on Sept. 15, the anniversary of the independence of five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Mexico, Chile and Belize celebrate their independence days on Sept. 16, Sept. 18 and Sept. 21 respectively.
The 30-day period also falls within Columbus Day or Día de la Raza on Oct. 12, which is a celebration of Hispanic traditions and cultural heritage in many Latin American countries.
Mansfield ISD campuses will be celebrating the impact of Hispanic and Latino cultures through assemblies, lessons, morning announcements and projects.
The national observation started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week and later expanded to a month-long celebration in 1988.