National Hispanic Heritage Month
In 1968, President Lyndon Johnson created National Hispanic Heritage Month, a time dedicated to recognizing the contributions of Hispanic Americans to the United States and celebrating Hispanic heritage and culture. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan revised the celebration to cover a 30-day period from September 15 to October 15. September 15 is a significant start date since it is the anniversary of independence of five Latin American countries: Â Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September 18, respectively. When you visit the library this month, why not expand your reading horizons by checking out books by acclaimed Hispanic writers such as Roberto Bolano, Gabriel Garciz Marquez, or Carlos Fuentes.