Latinx Heritage Month, recognized annually from September 15 through October 15, honors the history, cultural diversity, and unique contributions of individuals and communities whose ancestry can be traced back to Spain, Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. The observation started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period and enacted into law on Aug. 17, 1988. Sept. 15 coincides with the Independence Day celebrations of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, followed shortly thereafter by Mexico (Sept. 16) and Chile (Sept. 18). Día de la Raza and Indigenous Peoples Day, recognized on the second Monday of October, also fall within this period. The term “Latinx” relates to people of Latin American origin or descent and is used as a gender-neutral or non-binary alternative to Latino or Latina. The term Latinx grew in usage in late 2014 and became more widely used following the Orlando nightclub shooting of June 2016.

Latinx Heritage Month

  • Latin film festival: Sponsored by the department of world languages and culture on October 3, November 7 and December 12 at 7:30 p.m. at the Luna Theater in Lowell. All films are free to attend and include English subtitles.
  • Zumba: Location Campus Recreation Center on Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. and Fridays at 3 p.m.
  • Liberty Mutual: Una Tarde Con Liberty - Network and hear from Liberty representatives about their unique stories on the power of cultural identity in the workplace. Students are encouraged to attend the event which is being held in Boston on October 2 from 2-4 p.m. EST. To signup, email: stephanie_garcia@uml.edu.
  • Visit Virtually The National Museum of the American Latino: On October 9 at 4 p.m. at University Crossing 370. A virtual visit to the national museum of the American Latino to explore different art work together