Hispanic Heritage Month 2026

This month, we recognize the many contributions of Notre Dame’s Hispanic and Latino community members.

About the observance

Hispanic Heritage Month takes place annually in the United States from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15. Also referred to as Latino, Latinx or Latine Heritage Month, Hispanic Heritage Month honors the history, traditions, and achievements of Americans who trace their roots to Spain, Mexico and the Spanish-speaking nations of Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. While some may associate the Hispanic and Latino presence in the United States with immigration trends of the 20th and 21st centuries, Spanish-speaking people have lived in what is now the United States since before the country’s founding.

Launched in 1968 as a week-long observance, the timing was chosen to coincide with the date—Sept. 15, 1821—that Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua declared their independence from Spain. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence on Sept. 16 and 18, respectively. The observance was expanded to a 31-day time period in 1988.

Notre Dame news and media

• Notre Dame Alumni Association hosts Latin America and Caribbean regional meeting in Mexico City (February 2026)

• Walatka named director of Latin American/North American Church Concerns (January 2026)

• Exploring Latino Studies: Faculty panel highlights from LASU's Young Scholars Conference (October 2025)

• de Nicola Center collaboration with Nueva Cultura project supports scholars in the Global South (July 2025)

• Somos ND Gala celebrates Latino and Hispanic legacy, leadership, and inclusion (April 2025)

• Leadership transition at the Institute for Latino Studies (March 2025)

• Juanita Pinzón Caicedo unites Latin American topologists in ECOGyT conference (March 2025)

• Con todo el corazón/With all our heart (December 2024)

• College of Science faculty honored on Atlas of Inspiring Hispanic/Latinx Scientists (September 2024)

• Notre Dame’s Eck Institute and Institute for Latino Studies professors partner to help students explore Hispanic/Latino health (October 2023)

• Steve Reifenberg awarded Fulbright to develop programs at pontifical university in Chile (September 2023)

• Students celebrate Las Posadas on campus (December 2022)

• ACE program prepares educators for next generation of linguistically diverse students (September 2022)

• Camino program offering online theology courses in Spanish celebrates ten years (April 22)

• Miseres Awarded Humboldt Research Fellowship to Shed Light on Latin American Women’s Commentaries on War (June 2021)

Notre Dame units, departments, and organizations

• Ballet Folklórico Azúl y Oro Mexican folkloric performing arts group

• Caribbean Student Association

• Coro Primavera Spanish choir

• Graduate Latin American Students Unidos

• Hispanic Alumni of Notre Dame

• Hispanic Law Student Association

• Institute for Latino Studies

• Latin American Club at Mendoza

• Latino Engagement Institute

• Latino Student Alliance

• Latino Student Ministry

• Mariachi ND Mexican folk music group

• Notre Dame Mexico

• Notre Dame Santiago

• Notre Dame São Paulo

• Puerto Rican Student Association

• Ritmo ND Latin dancing club

• Somos ND

Additional resources

• What to Watch: Hispanic and Latino Heritage Month (PBS)

• Books to read for Latine & Hispanic Heritage Month (Penguin Random House)

• National Museum of the American Latino

• Hispanic Heritage Month: Origins and Facts (History.com)

• VIDEO: Understanding Hispanic Heritage (NBCU Academy)

• Exploring Latino Diversity in the United States​ (Google Arts and Culture)

• 24 Influential Hispanic Americans Who Have Made History (Biography.com)

Originally published by Cidni Sanders at weareall.nd.edu on September 15, 2026.