Zief Law Library Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month: Legal History, Events, and Resources

Posted on by Randall Seder

HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH 2023,

SEPTEMBER 15TH-OCTOBER 15TH 

In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, Zief Library Assistant Randall Seder takes a look at the social and legal history of the commemorative month, highlights Zief research resources, and presents some Bay-Area events of interest.

George Floyd Protest in Los Angeles, May 31st, 2020, Unsplash.com

Zief Law Library joins the University of San Francisco community in celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15th to October 15th. This commemorative month acknowledges the immeasurable contributions and influence of Hispanic/Latino/a/x/e Americans to United States history. Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates a rich collection of cultural and ethnic identities, including those identifying as Latino/a/x/e, from Latin America (Mexico, South and Central America) and the Caribbean, as well as those identifying as Hispanic, from one of the 20 countries worldwide who’s primary language is Spanish (Spain, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Uruguay, Ecuador, Paraguay, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Panama, Peru, Equatorial Guinea, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Venezuela). 

LEGAL HISTORY

Edward R. Roybal, Member of Congress from Los Angeles, California. Photo courtesy Library of Congress Digital Collections, Office of the Historian

Hispanic Heritage Month traces its origin to 1968 when Congress passed  Pub. L. No. 90-498. This joint resolution authorized the President to proclaim the week that includes September 15th and 16th as National Hispanic Heritage Week. The inclusion of these two dates is significant because September 15th marks the Independence Days of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, while September 16th marks Mexico’s Independence Day, Columbus Day, and Día de la Raza. This chosen week in September was established by legislation sponsored by the Los Angeles City Council Representative (13 years) and U.S. House of Representatives (30 years) Edward R. Roybal, who was born to a Mexican family in 1916 and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Hispanic Heritage Week was first formally recognized when President Lydon Johnson issued Proclamation No. 3869 in 1968. In his speech, President Johnson, “proclaim[s] the week beginning September 15, 1968, as National Hispanic Heritage Week, and…call[s] upon the people of the United States, especially the educational community, to observe that week with appropriate ceremonies and activities.”

Over the next 20 years, Presidents Nixon, Ford, Carter, and Reagan publicly recognized the week including September 15th and 16th as National Hispanic Heritage Week by issuing a series of annual proclamations. The commemorative week expanded to a month-long observance by legislation sponsored by Esteban Edward Torres, who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives for California’s 34th congressional district from 1983 to 1999. The legislation was then amended by Paul Simon, the Senator from Illinois, and signed into law by President Ronald Reagan. Congress passed Pub. L. No. 90-498, and subsequently Pub. L. No. 100-402, establishing National Hispanic Heritage Month. 

The president was again requested to issue an annual proclamation. President George H.W. Bush issued the first proclamation, Proclamation No. 6021, designating the “31-day period beginning September 15 and ending on October 15 as National Hispanic Heritage Month.” In his speech, President Bush calls attention to the vast contributions of Hispanic Americans to the country’s history, from mining and ranching in the colonial American Southwest to the heroics of several notable World War II soldiers, including Private Silvestre Herrera of Arizona and Lieutenant Colonel Jose Holguin of California. President Bush also commends the continued contributions of leadership across fields of government, business, education, sports, science, and the arts.

Left to right: Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, Colombian novelist Gabriel García Márquez, Peruvian novelist Mario Vargas Llosa, Mexican poet Carmen Boullosa, Belizean writer Zee Edgell, and French Guadeloupe writer Maryse Condé. Visit The PALABRA Archive to explore audio recordings of prominent writers from Latin America, the Iberian Peninsula, the Caribbean, and other regions with Luso-Hispanic heritage populations reading from their works, courtesy of the Library of Congress.)

Presidents George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden all issued annual proclamations for National Hispanic Heritage Month. In his 2022 Proclamation on National Hispanic Heritage Month, President Biden states:

“Hispanic heritage holds an indelible place in the heart and soul of our Nation, and National Hispanic Heritage Month reminds us that the American identity is a fabric of diverse traditions and stories woven together.  Since the beginning, our country has drawn strength and insights from Hispanic writers, scientists, soldiers, doctors, entrepreneurs, academics, and leaders in labor and government.  Our culture has been enriched by the rhythms, art, literature, and creativity of Hispanic peoples.  And our deepest values have been informed by the love of family and faith that is at the core of so many Hispanic communities. All of these contributions help us realize the promise of America for all Americans.”

(President Barack Obama greets Justice Sonia Sotomayor before her investiture ceremony at the Supreme Court in Washington, DC, September 8, 2009. NAID 118817965, courtesy of the National Archives Catalog, Hispanic Heritage Month Selection.)

President Biden’s 2022 proclamation also addresses ongoing injustice directed towards Hispanic and Latino/a/x/e communities. His speech details work being done on legislative levels to counteract systemic violence, including: loans for preserving and protecting Hispanic-owned small businesses; billion-dollar funding toward supporting Hispanic students earning postsecondary degrees; rental assistance for families facing eviction; and bolstered community health centers that predominantly serve Hispanic patients and other patients of color; the Child Tax Credit for supporting working families and reduce Hispanic child poverty; building safer and more accessible pathways to American citizenship, and working to strengthen the United States’ partnerships with allies across Hispanic and Latin American countries.   

This year, the National Council of Hispanic Employment Program Managers (NCHEPM) designated the theme for Hispanic Heritage Month 2023, “Latinos: Driving Prosperity, Power, and Progress in America.” With the 2023 theme in mind, Zief honors the academic achievements and support networks of Hispanic and Latino/a/x/e law students, faculty, and staff. 

For a more detailed history of Hispanic and Latino/a/x/e history in the United States, visit the Jim Crow Museum’s “Hispanic/Latinx Timeline, which begins in 1492 when Columbus reached an island in the Bahamas and claimed the land for Spain (falsely known as the “discovery” of the Americas”) and ending in 2016 with Black Lives Matter protests condemning violence against people of color. Additional timelines include the Learning for Justice’s Latino Civil Rights Timeline, 1903 to 2006, and Library of Congress’ A Latinx Resource Guide: Civil Rights Cases and Events in the United States.

HISPANIC HISTORY MONTH BOOKLIST 

To explore materials from the Zief Law Library collection written by Hispanic authors and/or discussing Hispanic experiences regarding the law, please visit the Zief catalog. Relevant topics include: power, accountability, legal systems, trade agreements, business, and human rights justice in Hispanic and Latin American countries. 

Five books from the Zief Law Library collection.

MAIN CAMPUS EVENTS 

September 19, 2023, 12:00 PM-1:00 PM in USF Gleeson Library Thacher Gallery

  • Yolanda M. López: Women’s Work is Never Done Community Tour. This gallery exhibit features rediscovered drawings, collages, paintings, photographs, prints, and process pieces by the American painter, printer, educator, and film producer Yolanda M. López (1942-2021). Lopez is known for her Chicana feminist works focusing on the experiences of Mexican-American women. Join gallery docents for an informative, fun walk-through of Women’s Work is Never Done.

September 19, 2023 9:00AM – 5:00PM

National Voter Education Week

October 2, 2023 11:45 AM – 12:45 PM

(ONLINE) October 5, 2023, 2:40 PM – 4:25 PM in the McLaren Complex

LOCAL EVENTS

Flamenco dancer performing in the magnificent Plaza de Espana, January 12, 2020. Unsplash.com

All month long at the San Francisco Public Library: “¡VIVA! A Celebration of Latinx Cultures and Traditions”. Explore the SF Public Library webpage for booklists and events (lectures; cooking classes; performances; and film screenings). 

All month-long Hispanic Heritage Month events at The Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts (MCCLA)

All month-long Mission Mural Tours of 24th Street in the Mission Neighborhood of San Francisco. |

 

All month long at Theater Flamenco of San Francisco

  • Saturday, October 7th at 8:00 PM, guest dancer Nevarez Encinias 
  • Thursday, October 12th at 8:00 PM, La Fiesta Nacional de España! Collaboration with Casca de Flores. 

All month long at SF Heritage: Happy Hours, Community Gatherings, and book talks. 

Saturday, September 30th, and Sunday, October 1st at Fairyland in Oakland: Fairyland’s Latinx Heritage Celebration.

ONLINE EVENTS

(President Barack Obama recognizes Medal of Honor honorees, from left, Staff Sergeant Melvin Morris, Sergeant First Class Jose Rodela, and Specialist Four Santiago J. Erevia, during the Medal of Honor ceremony in the East Room of the White House, March 18, 2014, photo courtesy of the National Archives Catalog, Hispanic Heritage Month Selection.)

American Bar Association

National Archives

Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA)

“Please join us as we celebrate and honor African heritage and its influence in Latin America. Through a key selection of artworks and artistic perspectives, this virtual exhibition encourages an open conversation through art around important themes like race, power, and heritage, and revisiting the fight for identity in communities of African descent. Artists discussed include Victoria Santa Cruz, Alexandre Arrechea, Carlos Martiel, Patricia Encarnación, and Liliana Angulo Cortés, among others.”

Guadalupe is a group exhibition that explores and interrogates the influence, iconography, and practices of devotion surrounding the spiritual and cultural symbol of the Virgen de Guadalupe in the Chicana/o/x and Latinx contemporary cultural scene. Artists examined include Carmen Lomas Garza, Ester Hernandez, Yolanda Lopez, and many more. 

Smithsonian National Museum of the American Latino

Digital Resources:

REFERENCES and ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

DID WE MISS SOMETHING?

The author of this blog post does not identify as Hispanic or Latino/a/x/e. If you have concerns regarding terminology or historical content on this page, please notify the author by emailing zieffrontdesk@usfca.edu.