2024 Hispanic Heritage Month Honors Hispanic Pioneers of Change

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AISDHHM2024: A Celebration of Hispanic Diversity, Culture, Traditions, and Contributions

National Hispanic Heritage Month is an opportunity to celebrate 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 and the rest of the country celebrate the achievements and contributions of the Hispanic community. This year’s theme celebrates Hispanic Pioneers of Change: Shaping the Future.

Click on the image to download the PDF of activities for staff.

District Administrative Activities

While students in schools enjoy planned activities, district administrative staff will also participate in celebrating Hispanics’ rich, diverse cultures and traditions. Special events and activities will be held at the Donaldson Administration Building (DAB) and the Bamberg Professional Development and Resource Center (BAM).

Planned Activities at the District’s Administrative Buildings

Starting Week of September 15

• • Book Lotería starts on September 15 and ends on October 14. Click here to download the Book Lotería PDF. The winners will be announced on October 15.
  • Cultural art walls will be created from student artworks, symbolizing Hispanic pioneers’ rich history and contributions and a testament to our shared heritage. The art walls will be exhibited the entire month. The staff will select the best representation of Hispanic pioneers. The student winners will receive a certificate and art materials.
  • Dress Up Day: On Friday, September 20, the staff can wear their best outfit representing their hispanic pioneer to celebrate nuestra cultura hispana.

Week of September 23

• • Virtual Lunch Panel: On Friday, September 27, at 11:30 a.m., the DAB and BAM staff members are invited to a special event—a virtual lunch panel. Here, they’ll have the chance to hear from Aldine campus leaders about how their Hispanic culture has shaped their leadership in our schools. A virtual meeting link will be shared via a Blackboard email closer to the date.

Week of September 29

• • Student Performances: On Tuesday, October 1, the Carter Elementary ballet folklórico dancers and violin players will perform at the DAB and BAM Buildings. On Thursday, October 3, the Aldine ISD’s award-winning student mariachi group, Acero, will perform for the BAM building.

Week of October 6

• • Staff will continue to complete their book lotería card. They can find a lotería page within the Hispanic Heritage Month PDF (Page 9) or click HERE to download the lotería card. Competing staff members must send their completed card to Grace Delgado, [email protected], by Monday, October 14. The winners will be announced on Tuesday, October 15.

Week of October 13

• • The Hispanic community has made significant contributions to the well-being of Americans across the country. The more than 62 million Hispanic Americans living in the U.S. today have left their mark on communities through their music, art, food, and social and political contributions, all for the betterment of the country.

Association for the Advancement of Mexican Americans
Association of Latino Professionals for America
BakerRipley
Bilingual Generation
Hispanic Health Coalition
Houston Hispanic Chamber
Latin Women’s Initiative
Latinos for Education
Racial Equity Institute
Texas Association for Bilingual Education

And right after HHM24 … October 21

• Award-winning author Raúl González, aka Raúl the Third, will be sharing his most recent addition to his World of Vamos series, ¡Vamos! Let’s Celebrate Halloween and Día de los Muertos: A Halloween and Day of the Dead Celebration with second-grade bilingual students in Elementary Team 1 on Monday, October 21, 2024. Students will hear from the author and receive a signed copy for their home libraries.

Share on Social Media

Be sure to share on social media how you celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. Include the hashtags #AISDHHM24 and #AldineImpact.

A Few Facts

• Spanish has the second largest number of speakers around the world. From Asia to the Americas, many places speak Spanish, with nearly 500 million native speakers and almost 600 million when including second language speakers worldwide.
• The number of Spanish speakers worldwide is on a steady rise, from Spanish-speaking countries in Africa to Spanish-speaking countries in Asia, making it one of the most widely spoken languages globally.
  The Census Bureau estimates that 65.2 million Hispanics lived in the U.S. as of July 1, 2023, a new high. They made up more than 19% of the nation’s population.
• 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 U.S. census, by 2060, the United States will have the highest number of Spanish speakers in the world after Mexico, 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, on September 15, five Latin American countries—Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua—earned independence from Spain in 1821. Mexico and Chile became independent from Spain on September 16 and September 18, respectively. Belize became independent from the United Kingdom on September 21.

We Are More Alike Than Different

Hispanic and Latino-Americans can have European, Jewish, African, Asian, and indigenous ancestry.

Celebrate!

The district encourages everyone to learn about Hispanics’ various cultures, customs, traditions, and history. Click HERE for celebrations around the city of Houston.

¡Siéntete orgulloso de tus raíces! — Be proud of your roots!

There are many online resources to learn more about the history and contributions of Hispanics. Below are a few examples:

• PBS — Hispanic and Latino Heritage Month
• PBS — PBS Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month 2024 With New Programs and Digital Activations
• PBS — American Historia: The Untold History of Latinos — This is an extension of Leguizamo’s Tony-nominated “Latin History for Morons.”
• Smithsonian — Hispanic Heritage Month
• Smithsonian National Museum of the American Latino
• Smithsonian Family and Public Programs
• National Museum of African American History and Culture’s Latinx Collection
• Latino experience is in focus at African American History and Culture Museum — Smithsonian’s National Museum of
• African American History and Culture
• Teaching Tolerance — Latino Civil Rights Timeline

The following are just a few classroom ideas:

• National Hispanic Heritage Month: Ideas for Teachers
• Colorín Colorado Hispanic Heritage Month
• Common Sense Education
• EDSITEment! — Hispanic Heritage and History in the United States
• Poets.org — Lessons for Hispanic Heritage Month