Which U.S. president declared Hispanic Heritage Month to take place from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15?

Which U.S. president declared Hispanic Heritage Month to take place from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15?

• A. John F. Kennedy
• B. Lyndon B. Johnson
• C. Franklin D. Roosevelt
• D. Barack Obama

Answer: (B)

The date window for Hispanic Heritage Month was set to capture the recognition of Hispanic heritage across the United States, with Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 chosen because it includes several Latin American independence anniversaries (Sept. 15 marks the start of independence celebrations for many countries, and Sept. 16 is Mexico’s Independence Day). The key point is that the month-long observance was established by President Ronald Reagan in 1988, when he expanded the earlier National Hispanic Heritage Week into a full month of celebration. Before that, President Lyndon B. Johnson had created a Week in 1968 to recognize Hispanic heritage, but the shift to a month with those specific dates came with Reagan’s proclamation.

The date window for Hispanic Heritage Month was set to capture the recognition of Hispanic heritage across the United States, with Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 chosen because it includes several Latin American independence anniversaries (Sept. 15 marks the start of independence celebrations for many countries, and Sept. 16 is Mexico’s Independence Day). The key point is that the month-long observance was established by President Ronald Reagan in 1988, when he expanded the earlier National Hispanic Heritage Week into a full month of celebration. Before that, President Lyndon B. Johnson had created a Week in 1968 to recognize Hispanic heritage, but the shift to a month with those specific dates came with Reagan’s proclamation.