White House Welcomes National Hispanic Heritage Month

National Hispanic Heritage Month is officially underway, as President Biden issued a White House proclamation welcoming in the annual event.

The event runs from September 15 through October 15. It’s a time to celebrate the nation’s Hispanic/Latino/Latinx communities, and to honor and remember their achievements, histories, traditions, and cultural diversity.

“From those who have been here for generations to those who have recently arrived, Latinos have pushed our great American experiment forward,” said President Biden. “They embody the possibilities of our Nation and the dreams of those who work every day to build a better future for their children, grandchildren, and beyond.”

There are more than 60 million Latinos in the United States, making up nearly 19 percent of the population. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Latinos are the largest racial or ethnic group in the country. 

In his proclamation, the president highlighted Hispanic members of his cabinet including Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, and Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. The president also highlighted his administration’s efforts to helping the Latino community.

“My Administration is committed to putting the American Dream within reach of every person, and it is working.  We have created nearly 16 million jobs since we took office and have seen record-low unemployment among Latinos, and Latino entrepreneurs have started new businesses at the fastest rate in over 25 years,” said the White House proclamation.

National Hispanic Heritage Month traces its routes to 1968, when Hispanic Heritage Week began under President Lyndon Johnson. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan expanded the observance to a full 30 days.

Earlier this summer, the National Council of Hispanic Employment Program Managers (NCHEPM) announced this year’s National Hispanic Heritage Month Poster following a deliberative and public voting process, "Pioneers of Change: Shaping the Future Together."

Mariana I. Purcell Rivera, a Puerto Rican artist and architecture student at the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico, submitted the winning 2024 theme.

"When we think about the future, it is not difficult to envision wealth, unity, and technological progress. It's easy to fantasize about a society that is flawless, but these forecasts only reflect the possible product of children who will ultimately transform the world as we know it. That is what lies ahead. We Hispanics are deeply rooted in that reality, with many other trailblazers who defied social norms and cleared the path for aspirational Hispanics, such as Sonia Sotomayor, Roberto Clemente, Ellen Ochoa, Julia Alvarez, Cesar Chávez, Rita Moreno, and many others. They help us understand that there are no boundaries to what we can do and offer to the world,” Rivera said. 

“I aimed to depict all this in my drawing: trailblazers embracing the future and motivating them to co-create the world ahead. In addition, we can also see the children's dreams shining above them as they ascend with hopeful glints in their eyes. I also made everyone stare forward in an attempt to get the observer to join in and dream. Our limit is only imposed by our own ambitions, and the future is ours to shape," Rivera concluded.