National Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated every September 15th to October 15th to uplift and recognize the important presence and fabric of contributions driven by Latinx champions who have inspired us all to achieve success.
The observance first began in 1968 as “Hispanic Heritage Week” under President Lyndon B. Johnson’s administration and was later expanded in 1988 to a 30-day recognition by President Ronald Regan. ESD 113 recognizes that many respected identities may be reflected during this celebration of the Latinidad diaspora (Hispanic, Chican@, Latinx, Mexican-American, Indigenous & Native, Afro-Latin@, etc.) and we welcome this time rich with diversity.
At ESD 113, Hispanic Heritage Month is an opportunity for us to continue daily practice of our Agency’s goals and values. Throughout, we want to uplift Latine members of our community by continuing to disrupt-to-amend historical practices with painful and exclusionary outcomes. We work to close gaps, grow people, influence change, and eradicate racism. We are an organization charged with ensuring equity for children and students, and here we value the unique contributions of each person to our success.
Throughout the next 30-days (and beyond) we encourage us all to remain substantially engaged in celebration and deep learning. We encourage you to participate in community events, use Zoom backgrounds to share your welcoming spirit, contribute to partners who share our vision, and grow in understanding of the historical inequities experienced by any group.
As we continue to move forward, we urge you to hold us accountable for doing more.
Onward together.