Latino/a/@/x/Latine American Heritage Month
This celebratory month actually began as a week-long celebration when it was first introduced in June of 1968 by California Congressman George E. Brown. Brown represented East L.A., along with the majority of the San Gabriel Valley, which are both predominantly Latinx communities, and he wanted to make sure these communities and the role they played throughout American history was nationally recognized. On September 17th, 1968, Congress passed Public Law 90–48, declaring September 15th and 16th the beginning of National Hispanic Heritage Week. On September 14th, 1989, President George H.W. Bush became the first president to officially declare the current 31-day period from September 15 to October 15 as National Hispanic Heritage Month. At CSD, we celebrate a more inclusive version of this observance by the name of Latino/a/@/x/Latine Heritage Month.
But why these days in particular?
The reasoning behind choosing these specific 31 days is that they coincide with the Independence Day celebrations of several Latin American countries. September 15th marks the Independence Day celebrations in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, which all declared independence from Spain on that day in 1821. Mexico declared independence from Spain on September 16th, 1810, while Chile declared independence from Spain on September 18th, 1810, and Belize declared independence from Great Britain on September 21st, 1981.
Click Here for Teacher Resources
The U.S. Department of State is proud to present its Hispanic Heritage Month Resource Toolkit. Designed for learners of all ages and educators, this Resource Toolkit contains lesson plans, videos, photos, exhibits, articles, and PowerPoint slides that celebrate the presence and awesome achievements of Hispanic/Latino/a/@/x citizens in the United States.
Recognizing the immense potential of this month, AFT has also curated a comprehensive collection of teaching resources, insightful blogs, and professional development webinars designed for both educators and parents.
Welcome back! This work is important.
In City Schools of Decatur, we are committed to aligning educational practices, policies, and resources to ensure that all students have access to and feel welcome to participate in high-quality learning experiences, regardless of race, socioeconomic status, gender, ability, religion, sexual orientation, linguistic diversity, or other cultural characteristics.
CSD will have achieved educational equity when ALL students have the resources, opportunities, and rigorous and relevant learning needed to enable their educational success.
We believe that educational equity requires . . .
high expectations for all students.
a culture that honors all students and staff regardless of cultural or racial background.
a culture that is reflective and inclusive of all students and staff regardless of cultural or racial background.
the systematic use of data to determine and establish an equitable allocation of resources.
the intentional development and implementation of district policies and practices with a focus on amplifying equity.
working together to eliminate predictable patterns of academic achievement based on race, socioeconomic status, and gender.
For more information about the City Schools of Decatur, please visit our home page, www.csdecatur.net.