Wilson Community College is proud to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 – October 15.
Event
Join us to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month Thursday, October 12 from 11am-1pm in the Student Lounge (Building G). Learn about the culture and contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans, and enjoy a chips and salsa bar!
For more information:
Outreach & Engagement Coordinator
Department: Student Development
Phone: (252) 246-1343
Email: rmelton@wilsoncc.edu
Office: F100k
Library Resources
The A. Dwight Johnson Learning Resource Center has a variety of resources showcasing National Hispanic Heritage Month. Visit the Library to check out one of our titles, or peruse the digital resources at the link below.
Interesting Facts
- Hispanic Heritage month starts on September 15th. The reason it starts on that day because September 15 is the anniversary of independence for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Mexico’s Independence Day comes just one day later on September 16th, and Chile’s falls on September 18th. Read more about the history of Hispanic Heritage month.
- The celebration of Hispanic Heritage started as a week in 1968 by President Lyndon Johnson. Then expanded to a month by President Ronald Reagan in 1988.
- Spanish is the second most spoken language in the United States. Read more about non-English languages spoken in U.S. households.
- Equatorial Guinea, located on the West Coast of Africa, previously a Colony of Spain. Read more about Equatorial-Guinea.
- Dr. Ellen Ochoa was the first Hispanic woman astronaut to go into space in 1993. Read more about Dr. Ellen Ochoa.
- Dr. Domingo Liotta created the first artificial heart used in a human. He developed the organ in 1969 at a hospital in Houston, Texas. It was implanted in a patient while they waited for a real human heart to be available for transplant. The recipient lived for 64 hours with the artificial heart before receiving a real one. Read more about Dr. Domingo Liotta.
- Carlos Santana was the first Hispanic Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee in 1998. Read more about Carlos Santana.
- José Ferrer was the first Hispanic to win an Oscar for Best Oscar in 1950 for the film Cyrano de Bergerac. Read more about José Ferrer.
- Pedro Flores was the first person to manufacture the yo-yo in the United States in 1928. He manufactured them from 1928-1932. Read more about Pedro Flores.
- Ezequiel Cabeza de Baca, New Mexico’s second governor, was the first ever elected Latino governor in the United States in 1917. Read more about Ezequiel Cabeza de Baca.
- Octaviano Larrazolo was the first Hispanic U.S. Senator. He was New Mexico’s first Latino Governor from 1919-1921 and Senator from 1928-1929. Read more about Octaviano Larrazolo.
- Joseph Marion Hernández was the first Hispanic Member of U.S. Congress in 1822.
Spotlights
Roberto Clemente
Born in Puerto Rico, one of the first Latin baseball stars
Lin-Manuel Miranda
American songwriter, actor, filmmaker and playwright
Celia Cruz
“Queen of Salsa” – one of the most famous Latin artists of the 20th century
Frida Kahlo
Mexican painter known for her self-portraits
Ellen Ochoa
American astronaut and first Hispanic woman to go to space
Check back throughout the month for more resources and events.