National Hispanic Heritage Month is the period from September 15 to October 15 in the United States, when people recognize the contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans to the United States and celebrate the group’s heritage and culture. Hispanic Heritage Week was approved by President Lyndon Johnson in 1968 and the length of it was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period (September 15 – October 15). It was enacted into law on August 17, 1988, on the approval of Public Law 100-402.
The language also plays a big role. Spanish-dominant and bilingual Hispanic millennials across the U.S. have shopped at Hispanic groceries, but English dominant Hispanic millennials have also visited these stores. According to a Nielsen report in 2016, in total, 55% of Hispanics are bilingual, while 27% are English-dominant and 19% are Spanish-dominant. However, Spanish is still spoken by English-dominant speakers and shows the importance of dual-language.
For many young Hispanics, there is pride in being Hispanic. Whether you’re first, second or third generation, growing up in America and being faced with two separate cultures, creates a new one altogether. This is proven by all the funny memes, Buzzfeed videos and tv commercials directed specifically at Hispanic millennials, who are our own culture demographic altogether.
Hispanic Millennials are Open to New Cultures
Little things, like watching Dora the Explorer and having a friend in school who spoke both English and Spanish, were important to me growing up because it made me feel like I wasn’t the only one who floated between two worlds. For many Hispanic millennials like myself, at home, you’re raised in the culture of the country your parents were born in and then at school and your adult life, you’re raised by your surroundings in the U.S.
Hispanic millennials are extremely diverse, open to new experiences and new cultures because well, we were raised between two cultures. There is an understanding in appreciating the culture you grew up in, the American culture that also raised you and someone’s else’s culture.
You are both Hispanic and American and you feel proud to be both, to have the best of both worlds.
According to a 2016 Nielsen report, over half (58%) of Hispanics under 18 are bilingual. The report shows that despite increasing proficiency in English, messaging in Spanish and in-culture is still very relevant to younger generations. Millennials’ strong ties to their countries or parents’ countries are evident in their social life, buying choices and brand loyalty preferences. It’s not an exaggeration to say that Latinos have a major influence in the U.S. According to Nielsen, the U.S. Census projects Latinos to account for a full 65% of the nation’s population growth over the next 45 years.
This Hispanic Heritage month, I think it’s important to note that no matter which language you are most dominant in or what country you’re from, there is pride in being a Hispanic/Latino in the U.S. and our presence in this country should be celebrated.