Hispanic Heritage Month

September 15, 2020 | by Wong Fleming

The month of September is dedicated to celebrating Hispanic Heritage. Hispanic Heritage Month starts on September 15 and continues until October 15. Each year, we honor and celebrate the histories, cultures, and contributions of those whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.

Hispanic Heritage Month actually began as Hispanic Heritage Week in 1968. This celebratory week always had to include September 15 and 16  to honor those Latin American countries that gained their independence:  Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua on the 15th, and Mexico on the 16th. Each president from then on issued proclamations each year in September, designating a week of celebration.  In 1988 congress passed another law that established what we know today as National Hispanic Heritage Month. Since 1990, U.S. Presidents have continued to issue annual proclamations for National Hispanic Heritage Month.

This month is important as it reminds us to appreciate the contributions of Latinx people. Many may not know that eight years before the landmark case that is Brown v. Board of Education, the U.S. Supreme Court addressed school segregation of LatinX people in Mendez v. Westminster. In particular, in 1946, Mexican Americans won a class action lawsuit to dismantle the segregated school system that existed in California. The Latinx community has continually uplifted our country, adding immeasurable value to our quality of life. This month, we celebrate all of the Hispanic people and cultures that make up the fabric of our nation.

About Wong Fleming

Wong Fleming has been a minority and woman-owned law firm committed to diversity in the legal profession since the firm was founded in 1994. Our commitment to diversity is pervasive and is reflected in the firm’s ownership, associate ranks, and support staff.

The firm is certified as a minority and/or women business enterprise by the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) and the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC).

Our attorneys actively participate in diversity initiatives with local, state and national organized bar associations. The firm and our attorneys are members of the National Association of Minority and Women-Owned Law Firms (NAMWOLF), the Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA), the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), the Defense Research Institute (DRI), and the National Bar Association (NBA). Our long-time involvement with these organizations has allowed us unique opportunities to work together with our corporate clients and other in-house counsel to continue the ongoing effort to increase inclusion in all areas of the law.