Today marks the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month. Originally conceived as Hispanic Heritage Week in 1968, the observance was lengthened to a month-long celebration in 1988. Every year from September 15 through October 15, people across the United States celebrate the culture and traditions of those citizens whose ancestors are from Spain, Mexico and the Spanish-speaking nations
of Central America, South America and the Caribbean.
In honor of this month, we're featuring two reading selections on Scribd to further your understanding of Hispanic heritage in the United States. The first selection, from the second edition of Manuel G. Gonzales's book Mexicanos, focuses on Cesar Chavez and the Chicano movement. In the second selection, Latinas in the United States editors Vicki L. Ruiz and Virginia Sánchez Korrol provide a historical and regional overview of Latinas in the Southwest and Northeast.