This Year’s Hispanic Heritage Month Honors Hispanic Heroes

Disponible en: Español

#AISDHHM2022 will celebrate Hispanics’ diversity, culture, traditions, and contributions.

National Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates a diverse group of people. They trace their roots to Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries around the world.

Of the district’s student population, nearly 75% are Hispanic. They represent many Spanish-speaking countries.

From September 15 to October 15, Aldine ISD, along with the rest of the country, celebrates the achievements and contributions of the Hispanic community. This year’s theme celebrates Héroes Hispanos (Hispanic Heroes).

Matt de la Peña

District Administrative Activities

While students in schools will enjoy planned activities, district leaders will also take part in celebrating the rich, diverse cultures and traditions of Hispanics. Special events and activities will be held at the Donaldson Administration Building (DAB) and the Bamberg Professional Development and Resource Center (BAM). Staff at both buildings will receive an email internally with full details on how they can join and take part in the activities planned.

Planned Activities

Week of September 15-16: Book Lotería
Week of Sept. 19-23: District art students will create cultural art walls representative of Héroes Hispanos. The world of visual and performing arts, science, literature, and sports will be represented. The cultural art wall displays will be at the DAB and BAM buildings until October 15.
Sept. 23: Dress up as your favorite Héroe Hispano (Hispanic Hero), this year’s theme.
Week of Sept. 26-30: Best-selling and award-winning author Matt de la Peña will be the keynote speaker for a virtual lunch and learn event on Sept. 30.
Week of October 3-7: Hispanic food will be served during ILT on October 6, and AISD’s Mariachi Acero will perform. Click here to hear a snippet of the talented students.
Week of Oct. 10-14: Participants in Book Club will read and discuss this year’s book, Emily Francis’ If You Only Knew: Letters From an Immigrant Teacher, on Oct. 11. Staff that sign up will receive a copy of the book and materials.

Share on Social Media

Be sure to share on social media how you celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. Include the hashtags #AISDHHM22, #AldineConnected, or #AldineConectado.

A Few Facts

Spanish has the second largest number of speakers around the world. From Asia to the Americas, many places speak Spanish, with over 500 million speakers worldwide.

From Spanish-speaking countries in Africa to Spanish-speaking countries in Asia, the number of Spanish speakers worldwide is growing. According to the Pew Research Centre, in the U.S. alone, the number of speakers has grown by an enormous 233% since 1980. The Cervantes Institute predicts that the population in officially Spanish-speaking nations will reach 750 million by 2050.

By the Numbers

Spanish is second only to Chinese in terms of the most spoken languages in the world.
According to the official US census, the United States will have the highest number of Spanish speakers in the world after Mexico by 2060, and around 28.6% of the population will be Hispanic.
Houston’s Hispanic population is increasing rapidly as more Latin American immigrants move to the area to work. Houston now has the 3rd largest Hispanic population in the United States after New York and Los Angeles.

Brief History About Hispanic Heritage Day

President Lyndon B. Johnson first introduced National Hispanic Heritage Week in 1968. As cited in President Johnson’s 1968 Proclamation, September 15 is when five Latin American countries — Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua — earned their independence from Spain in 1821. Mexico, Chile, and Belize became independent on September 16, September 18, and September 21 from Spain and the United Kingdom, respectively.