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Hispanic Heritage Month: Biographies

Discover Biographies

Selected H.H.M. Facts

    Dia de la Raza also falls within the Hispanic Heritage Month observance calendar (October 12).

  • flag of MexicoPeople of Mexican origin accounted for just over 60% of the total 2019 U.S. Hispanic Population. Individuals of Puerto Rican origin were the next largest Hispanic group, at nearly 10% of all Hispanic Americans.

  • Half of all "Hispanic" individuals (where Spanish would be the official language of their country of origin) would prefer to identify themselves by their country of origin.

  • Many Latin American countries celebrate their national days of independence in September:
    • Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua (September 15)
    • Mexico (September 16)
    • Chile (September 18)
    • Belize (September 21)

  • 2021 data found that 81% of Latinos living in the country were U.S. citizens.

Notable People

Rita Moreno

Rita Moreno, multiple award-winning performer
Image: Jack de Nijs / CC0 1.0

Fernando Valenzuela

Fernando Valenzuela, legendary baseball player
Image: Jimmyack205 / CC BY 2.0

Ellen Ochoa, first space flight by a Hispanic female NASA Astronaut

Jose Ferrer portrait

Jose Ferrer, first Latino actor to win an Academy Award

Carlos Santana at Acer Arena

Carlos Santana, first Hispanic musician inducted to the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame
Image: Edf55 / CC BY-SA

Sonia Sotomayor, first Hispanic Supreme Court judge
Stacey Ilyse / CC BY 3.0

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