In 1968, US President Lyndon B. Johnson created an Hispanic Heritage Week. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan expanded the idea of honoring American citizens whose ancestors hailed from Spain, South and Central America, the Caribbean and Mexico to the 30-day month from September 15th to October 15th as we know today.

Having the recognition span two months may be unusual, but it makes sense when you realize how many significant Hispanic historical dates fall in the time frame. Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua all share an Independence Day of September 15th. Mexico and Chile celebrate their Independence on the 16th and 17th of September respectively and also Dia de la Raza, which falls on October 12th.

There are many ways to honor Hispanic Heritage month, and it’s not all about the entertainment and food, though that is a highlight.

• Try some new recipes, and maybe create a once a week Hispanic family dinner night working as a family exploring new foods and inspiring insights.

• Read a book or two written by a Latinx author. Read some of the amazing children books that have come out recently to the children in your life to initiate conversations and deeper understanding.

• If television is your thing, Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is curating a selection of Hispanic films and discussing ways Hollywood helped and hindered the Latinx community.

• Dine at local Latinx restaurants, focusing on those owned by Latinx folks: Azul Tequila at 29 School Street, Gorham is an excellent option.

• Support Latinx green companies when doing your shopping.

• Learn more about Hispanic Heritage in general. The federal government has set up a website that has a list of links to a wealth of information on a large variety of topics from literature to economics from culture to history.

Today there is an ongoing debate on the use of the word Hispanic with many preferring the more colloquial Mexican American, Chicano, Latino, or the more recent Latinx.

In a recent NPR article, a History Professor at the University of Florida, Paul Ortiz, explained that “a large part of that, is based on the origins of the word Hispanic, which is the English translation of the Spanish ‘Hispano’, meaning a person whose cultural traditions originate from Spain which immediately erases all of the centuries of pre-Columbian history, culture and civilizations that existed before the European conquest and colonization of the Americas…and that’s understandably upsetting to people who are not white”.

Be it Hispanic or Latinx Heritage Month, it is a time to contemplate how words matter, educate ourselves, and celebrate the melting pot that is the United States.