Hispanic Heritage Celebration kicks off
Palm Beach State College kicked off its celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month this week with a Latin dance presentation and other events on the Boca Raton and Lake Worth campuses.
Events are scheduled on all campuses throughout the month, which runs Sept. 15-Oct. 15, to recognize and celebrate the contributions that Hispanic Americans have made to the U.S. culture. Activities include movie screenings, Hispanic trivia, Latin food festivals and more.
Hispanic Heritage was first observed in 1968 as a weeklong celebration, and it was expanded in 1988 to a month. According to the U.S. Library of Congress, Sept. 15 is significant because it is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on Sept. 16 and Sept. 18, respectively.
As of July 1, 2017, there were 58.9 million Hispanics in the U.S. comprising 18.1 percent of the total population, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. They are the nation’s largest ethnic or racial minority group. The Hispanic student population at PBSC also has continued to climb, rising from 18 percent in fall 2007 to 30 percent in fall 2017 and becoming the largest ethnic minority group at the College.
Visit the PBSC events calendar to review details on upcoming events.
