4 Ways to Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

September 15- October 15 is recognized and celebrated as Hispanic Heritage Month.

During this month, the nation celebrates the achievements and culture of Hispanic and Latino Americans. 

This observation originally started out as Hispanic Heritage Week in 1968 but became law as a month-long celebration in 1988.

You may wonder why the celebration starts in the middle of the month. Well, September 15th is significant. September 15th is independence day for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Several other Latin American countries celebrate independence day during this time period. 

Besides having a rich culture, Hispanics and Latinos are savvy, resilient business owners who don’t get enough credit for it. 

Did you know that Latino-owned businesses have started faster than other groups in the past decade? According to The 2021 State of Latino Entrepreneurship Report (SOLE):

• The number of employees at Latino-owned businesses has grown 55% since 2007.
• The 2021 report also projects there are now approximately 400,000-450,000 Latino-owned employer businesses. That’s an increase from the 2018 estimate of 350,000.
• Latino-owned businesses are distributed across all sectors of the economy. 

In addition to that, Latinas are killing the entrepreneurship game. According to Legal Zoom, “Latina-owned small businesses are the fastest-growing segment of the business community in the United States.”

For this blog post, we’ll focus on how you can celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month by supporting our Hispanics and Latina She Bosses. Here are 5 ways you can support them all year round, especially this Hispanic Heritage Month. 

1. Get Educated

Whether listening to a podcast, audiobook, watching a documentary, or reading up on Hispanic heritage, get educated. Hispanics have a rich culture and history that everyone should know about.

In addition to that, be aware of the community’s issues and find out how you can help so you can be part of the solution. 

Not sure where to start with your education? Try:

• Google Arts & Culture
• Latin American Network Information Center (LANIC)
• Latino Policy Forum
• Unidos US

In addition to that, don’t be afraid to watch popular tv shows and listen to music from the culture. For example, you might find out you love Reggaeton. If you’re interested in the history of reggaeton, you can listen to this podcast to be in the know. Immersing yourself in the culture can help you have a greater appreciation. 

2. Support Hispanic Owned Businesses

Hispanic businesses exist in all sectors. Therefore, it’s easy to find Hispanic companies to support. If you don’t know any, you can ask your network. That means simply asking a friend. Or it can mean posting, “Which Hispanic Owned Businesses Do You Shop From?” on your social media platforms so people can comment. In addition to that, you can always Google.

You can support these by paying for their goods and services or investing in their business. 

Ready to start shopping? Here are some Hispanic Owned Businesses you can support:

• Yo Soy Afro Latina, founded by Bianca Kea-  Bianca created her apparel brand Yo Soy Afro Latina and aims to empower Black women within the Latin community. You can shop for cute tees, bonnets, accessories, and other products. In addition to that, they have an affiliate program. Affiliate marketing can be a fantastic new income stream.
• Reina Skincare, founded by Adriana Isabel Robinson Rivera- Reina Skincare is a luxury brand that offers skincare products made with natural ingredients. The company is owned by Adriana, who is a Latina passionate about skincare.
• La Voute, founded by Adrienne Houghton- If you’re looking for loungewear and handbags, you can go shopping at La Voute. La Voute was founded by past The Real Daytime cohost and Cheetah Girl Adrienne Houghton. 
• XIXI, founded by Adrienne Houghton- Yes, Adrienne is the queen of multiple income streams; she also owns XIXI. XIXI is her jewelry company, so you can accessorize your outfit. You can shop for earrings, necklaces, and other jewelry pieces. 
• Mi Dinero Mi Futuro, founded by Ramona Ortega- Mi Dinero Mi Futuro, aka My Money My Future, is an initiative to empower one million Black and Latino investors to build wealth. You can support them by using the available resources or becoming a partner. 

3. Tell a Friend 

You’ll be catching up with your friends anyway; you might as well chat about Hispanic Heritage Month. Tell at least one person you know about Hispanic Heritage Month. Tell them what you learned in your research. Recommend your favorite Hispanic businesses to them. Just spread the word.

You can also use your online platforms to spread the word. You won’t even have to create new content; you can just share this blog post.

In addition to that, you can spotlight your favorite Hispanic-owned business on your socials. Referrals are so important, especially for small businesses. You can:

• Create a haul video or a picture of what you bought
• Incorporate the products or services in your resource page on your website
• Do a Reel promoting the business and mentioning why you love them

You can also reach out to the business and ask if they would like to partner or collaborate with you.  A partnership relationship between your brand and theirs could be mutually beneficial; that way, everybody wins. 

4. Send a Testimonial 

If you bought a product or service from a Hispanic-owned business and love it, let the owners know! Testimonials are essential, especially for small businesses. You can submit the testimonial via email or social media and let them know they can use your words for promotion. 

An effective testimonial includes how the product or service solved your problem. 

In addition to that, you can leave book reviews for books by Hispanic authors. 

Next Steps 

Use these ideas throughout the year to celebrate and support our Hispanic She Bosses. Let’s win together.