The Office of Inclusion and Multicultural Engagement at Cleveland State University is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15.  

The history behind Hispanic Heritage Month

Hispanic Heritage Month is observed in the United States from Sept. 15 until Oct. 15. This month is to recognize the history, culture and people with Hispanic ancestry.  Sept. 15 is a particularly crucial day for Hispanic Heritage. It is the day five Latin American countries -- Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua -- gained independence from Spain in 1821. Mexico celebrates its independence day on Sept. 16 and Chile, Sept. 18. Belize gained independence on Sept. 21, 1981, from the United Kingdom.

President Lyndon B. Johnson was the first U.S. president to observe Hispanic Heritage Week, in 1968. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan expanded Hispanic Heritage Week to be a month-long observation.

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month at CSU

The Office of Inclusion and Multicultural Engagement is hosting a series of events marking Hispanic Heritage Month until Oct. 15.

Here are some of the events you can attend to join in the celebration:

• On Wednesday, Sept. 20, there will be a Voter Registration Celebration, hosted by The Office of Civic Engagement, from noon to 1 p.m. in the Student Center.
• Sept. 22-24, The Linguistics Association of the Southwest Annual Meeting will be held in the Michael Schwartz Library on the first floor. 
• On Thursday, Oct. 5, CSU dining services will offer Latin/Hispanic-style cuisine. 
• On Sunday, Oct. 15, Latinx Leads Student Leadership Conference will be held in The Pratt Center, Rhodes Tower Room 1254.

Multicultural Awareness at CSU

The Office of Inclusion and Multicultural Engagement has a goal of creating a campus environment immersed in inclusion. Their programs strive to increase diverse engagement on campus, provide activities that help increase awareness of social justice and equality issues, and conduct research to strengthen the university's mission of higher education. In 2021, Hispanic students made up 6.15% of the enrolled graduates and undergraduates at CSU, according to Data USA. It is important to The Office of Inclusion and Multicultural Engagement that students of all backgrounds and cultures are recognized.

Below are links to more information about Hispanic Heritage Month and The Office of Inclusion and Multicultural Engagement:

National Hispanic Heritage Month

Hispanic Heritage and Latin Independence

The Office of Inclusion and Multicultural Engagement