Celebrating Hispanic and Latinx Heritage
September 21, 2021
We take great pride in the diversity of our CoolSys family of employees and customers. This Hispanic Heritage Month, we’d like to spotlight, honor and recognize the contributions of Hispanic and Latinx Americans to our nation’s history and to our company.
What’s the difference?
While some might use the terms interchangeably, there are differences between the terms Hispanic and Latinx.
Hispanic refers to people from and descendants of Spanish-speaking countries.
Latinx refers to people from and descendants of Latin American countries, whether or not they are Spanish-speaking. For example, people from Brazil speak Portuguese, so they are considered Latinx. Similarly, Spaniards are Hispanic, but not Latinx. For more information on the differences between the terms, click here.
How did Hispanic Heritage Month begin?
Spurred by the Civil Rights Movement, President Lyndon B. Johnson instituted Hispanic Heritage Week in 1968. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan extended the week to a 30-day annual celebration from September 15 to October 15.
Why mid-September?
September 15 marks the beginning of several significant events in Hispanic/Latinx history, including the independence days for El Salvador, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Mexico and Chile.
Did you know?
There are 60.5 million Hispanic/Latinx people living in the U.S., representing the largest ethnic minority in the country. That’s 18.4% of the total U.S. population!
Spanish is the official language of 21 countries and territories around the world. Can you name them all? Here’s the list.
Cuisine
One of our favorite ways to learn about new cultures is through food. Hispanic/Latinx food culture extends well beyond tacos and guacamole! With vast influences from many cultures such as Italian and Chinese, dishes vary significantly from country and region. Explore a new recipe!
Movies
While not 100% historically accurate, watching biopics is a fun introduction to cultural and historical figures.
Frida: This biopic traces the bold and controversial life and relationships of surrealist artist Frida Kahlo. Salma Hayek earned an Oscar nomination for her portrayal of the title character.
The Mambo Kings: Check out the movie based on the Pulitzer-Prize-winning novel The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love by Oscar Hijuelos, the first Hispanic-American to win a Pulitzer Prize in fiction.
Learn to speak Spanish
Spanish is the most common non-English language in the U.S., and the U.S. has the second-highest concentration of Spanish-speakers in the world (second only to Mexico). If you don’t speak Spanish and are eager to learn, there are several ways to learn in your local community and online. Here are 101 useful Spanish phrases to get you started.
Resources
Visit hispanicheritagemonth.gov for more information about Hispanic and Latinx trailblazers, watch videos, listen to podcasts and more.
Share your story
We want to hear from our CoolSys family! How are you celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month? Post your photos on Facebook and Twitter and tag @coolsys and @coolsys_ on Instagram.