September 15, 2025
National Hispanic Heritage Month (Spanish: Mes nacional de la herencia hispana) is observed annually from September 15 to October 15 in the United States for recognizing the contributions and influence of Hispanic culture to the nation's achievements, culture, and history.
National Hispanic Heritage Week was established by legislation, and signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson in 1968, taking place on the week including both September 15 and 16. In 1988, the commemorative week was expanded to a month (September 15 to October 15) by legislation, and signed into law by President Ronald Reagan. September 15 was chosen as the starting point for the commemoration because it is the anniversary of the Cry of Dolores (early morning, 16 September 1810), which marked the start of the Mexican War of Independence and thus resulted (in 1821) in independence for the New Spain Colony (now Mexico and the Central American nations of Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Honduras, and Nicaragua) which became the Federal Republic of Central America.