National Hispanic Heritage Month honors the culture, heritage, and contributions of Hispanic Americans each year. The event began in 1968 when Congress deemed the week including September 15th and 16th National Hispanic Heritage Week to celebrate the contributions and achievements of the diverse cultures within the Hispanic community. The dates were chosen to commemorate two key historic events: Independence Day, honoring the formal signing of the Act of Independence for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua (September 15, 1821), and Mexico’s Independence Day, which denotes the beginning of the struggle against Spanish control (September 16, 1810). It was not until 1988 that the event was expanded to a month-long period, which includes El Dia de la Raza on October 12, which celebrates the influences of the people who came after Christopher Columbus and the multi-cultural, multi-ethnic society that evolved as a result; Chile’s Independence Day on September 18 (El Dieciocho); and Belize’s Independence Day on September 21.
The United States population is becoming more racially and ethnically diverse. In 2008, 46.7 million Hispanics resided in the U.S. and it is projected that there will be 132.8 million Hispanics residing in the U.S. in 2050. On August 6, 2009, the Senate confirmed Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court, making her the first Hispanic Supreme Court justice and the third woman to sit on the court. Despite decades of reports, task forces, and goals, the legal profession is one of the least diverse professions in the country. In the 21st century, the legal profession faces no greater challenge than the imperative to advance diversity throughout our ranks. It is incumbent upon each one of us to do something that will make a real difference. As we celebrate National Hispanic-Latino Heritage Month, let’s commit to renewed efforts toward increasing diversity in the legal profession.