What is Hispanic Heritage Month and Powerful Ways Businesses can Support the Movement

By Mónica Malavé, CEO, Elevate It Now®   |   September 2026   |   9-minute read

Every year between September 15 and October 15, the United States sets aside time to honor Hispanic Heritage Month and the people, stories, and traditions that trace back to Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. For many of us, it isn’t a marketing moment. It’s the smell of sofrito in abuela’s kitchen, the music at a family party that keeps going well past midnight, and the pride of seeing our culture recognized in the places where we live and work.

For business owners, the month is also an invitation. Handled with care, it’s a chance to learn, to connect with one of the most dynamic communities in the country, and to show customers that your commitment is real. Handled carelessly, it turns into a clip-art sombrero and a hashtag that people see right through.

In this guide, we’ll cover why Hispanic Heritage Month matters, how anyone can support it, and seven practical ways your business can celebrate in a way that feels genuine.

What Is Hispanic Heritage Month?

National Hispanic Heritage Month is an annual U.S. observance, running from September 15 through October 15, that celebrates the histories, cultures, and contributions of Americans whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. You’ll find the official overview, plus programming from federal cultural institutions, at HispanicHeritageMonth.gov.

It started small. In 1968, Congress authorized President Lyndon B. Johnson to proclaim a National Hispanic Heritage Week. Twenty years later, the observance grew into a full month when President Ronald Reagan signed Public Law 100-402 on August 17, 1988. Today the observance is written into federal law, and a presidential proclamation marks it each year.

Why Does It Start on September 15?

The mid-month start isn’t random. September 15 marks the independence anniversaries of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, while Mexico and Chile celebrate on September 16 and 18. The U.S. Census Bureau describes the timing as a deliberate nod to those national celebrations. It’s a helpful reminder right from the start: this month honors many nations and many identities, not just one.

Why Hispanic Heritage Month Matters More Than Ever in 2026

A Community That Shapes the Country

The numbers tell part of the story. Census Bureau estimates released in August 2026 put the U.S. Hispanic population at 70.1 million as of July 2025, or 21% of everyone living in the country. Sixteen states now have at least one million Hispanic residents, and Virginia is on that list, which matters a great deal for those of us serving the DC Metro and Northern Virginia market.

This is also a young, fast-growing community. Between 2000 and 2024, the Latino population nearly doubled, and Pew Research Center found that Latinos accounted for more than half of all U.S. population growth over that period. Most are U.S.-born, and they’re increasingly spread out across the country rather than concentrated in a handful of states.

An Economic Engine Worth Understanding

If the U.S. Latino economy were its own country, it would rank fourth in the world. The 2026 LDC U.S. Latino Economic Impact Report puts its value at $4.4 trillion in 2024, with annualized growth of 5.4% since 2019, more than double the overall U.S. rate. Even more striking, Latinos drove 28.2% of all U.S. economic growth in 2024 while making up about one-fifth of the population.

Consumer spending follows the same trend. Researchers at Arizona State University’s W. P. Carey School of Business, who partnered on the report, found that U.S. Latino household consumption reached $2.8 trillion. That makes it the third-largest consumer market on the planet.

Entrepreneurs Leading the Way

Hispanic entrepreneurs are building at a remarkable pace. The Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative reported that the number of Latino-owned businesses grew 44% between 2018 and 2023, reaching 465,202 firms, while white-owned businesses slightly declined over the same stretch. And no, it isn’t just restaurants. Some of the strongest growth came in professional services, construction, real estate, arts and entertainment, and transportation.

The obstacles are real, too. Stanford’s latest State of Latino Entrepreneurship findings show that Latino-owned businesses received less than 2% of all venture funding in 2025, and owners named inflation as their top concern. That gap is exactly where your support as a customer, partner, or supplier can make a measurable difference.

How to Support Hispanic Heritage Month (Whoever You Are)

You don’t need a marketing budget to participate. Here are four meaningful ways anyone can show support this month and beyond.

Learn the History Beyond the Headlines

Hispanic and Latino history is American history, and much of it goes untold. The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino offers exhibitions, digital collections, and public programs that cover everything from colonial legacies to the entrepreneurs and artists shaping the country today. If you’re in the DC area, its Molina Family Latino Gallery at the National Museum of American History is well worth a visit with your family or your team.

Spend Your Dollars Intentionally

One of the most direct ways to support the community is to buy from Hispanic-owned businesses, whether that’s your morning coffee, your next catering order, or your accounting firm. Local Hispanic chambers of commerce are a great starting point, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce keeps a practical roundup of Hispanic-owned business directories to help you find them.

Amplify Hispanic Voices

Read books by Hispanic authors, follow Hispanic creators and journalists, and share their work with credit. Attend local festivals, art shows, and cultural events, and bring someone along. Visibility matters, and every share, ticket, and review helps.

Use the Words People Actually Use

Terminology matters, and it’s simpler than many people think. Pew Research Center found that 52% of U.S. Hispanic adults prefer the term “Hispanic,” 29% prefer “Latino,” and only a very small share prefer newer terms like “Latinx” or “Latine.” Better yet, when you know someone’s background, be specific. Plenty of people would rather you simply say Puerto Rican, Salvadoran, Dominican, or Colombian. When in doubt, ask.

7 Ways Business Owners Can Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month Authentically

Here’s the good news: your customers want you to show up. A June 2026 consumer study published by Abasto found that half of Latino consumers believe brands should run Hispanic Heritage Month campaigns because it’s an important cultural moment, and another quarter agree as long as it’s done authentically. The permission is there. Execution is where brands win or lose.

1. Spotlight Real Stories, With Permission

Invite Hispanic employees, customers, or partners to share what their heritage means to them, and let them tell it in their own words. Make participation completely optional, credit people properly, and compensate outside contributors for their time. A single honest story will do more for your brand than a dozen stock photos.

2. Partner With and Buy From Hispanic-Owned Businesses

Put your purchasing power behind your message. Hire a Hispanic-owned caterer for your team celebration, work with a Hispanic designer or photographer on your campaign, or add Hispanic-owned vendors to your supplier list. The U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, which serves as the umbrella organization for more than 260 local chambers and business associations, is a strong place to find partners.

3. Create Bilingual Content That’s Transcreated, Not Just Translated

Spanish isn’t one language in practice. A “guagua” is a bus in Puerto Rico and Cuba but a baby in Chile, and that’s just one word. Research from Mintel notes that Hispanic consumers often feel generally seen but lumped together, rather than personally represented. Transcreation, which adapts tone, idioms, and cultural references for a specific audience, is how you close that gap. Work with native speakers who know your market, and never publish machine translation without a human review.

4. Invest in Your Local Community

Sponsor a local Hispanic festival, fund a scholarship, or build a volunteer partnership with a Hispanic-serving nonprofit. This isn’t just good citizenship; it’s good business. In Nielsen’s 2023 research on trust, 84% of Latinos said they favor brands that play a positive role in their community, and 63% said they’re more likely to buy from brands that feature people like them in advertising.

5. Educate Your Team

Host a lunch-and-learn, invite a local historian or community leader to speak, or explore the Smithsonian’s free digital resources together. When your team understands the history and the diversity within the community, your customer interactions improve naturally, all year long.

6. Honor the Diversity Within the Community

Hispanic Americans trace their roots to more than 20 countries, with distinct foods, music, dialects, and traditions. They’re Afro-Latino, Indigenous, white, Asian, and multiracial. Avoid one-size-fits-all imagery, and instead reflect the specific communities your business actually serves. In the DC Metro area, for example, that often means Salvadoran, Guatemalan, Honduran, Puerto Rican, Mexican, and Peruvian families living side by side.

7. Make It a Year-Round Commitment

The biggest mistake is disappearing on October 16. Build a cultural calendar that includes moments like Día de los Reyes, Semana Santa, and Día de los Muertos, offer bilingual customer service, and keep Hispanic voices in your content every month. Customers notice consistency, and that’s what turns a seasonal campaign into lasting loyalty.

Performative vs. Authentic: A Quick Gut Check

Not sure whether your plans hit the mark? Use this side-by-side comparison to pressure-test your Hispanic Heritage Month ideas before they go live.

Hispanic Heritage Month Marketing Mistakes to Avoid

Most missteps come from moving fast without listening first. Stereotypical props like sombreros and maracas flatten dozens of cultures into a costume. Machine-translated Spanish signals that nobody on your team cared enough to check. Leaning on “Latinx” in customer-facing copy can also backfire; among Hispanic adults who have heard the term, 75% say it shouldn’t be used to describe the population. And profiting from the month without giving anything back to the community is the fastest way to lose trust.

The fix is simple, even if it takes effort: involve Hispanic voices in the planning, not just the final photo shoot.

Frequently Asked Questions About Hispanic Heritage Month

When is Hispanic Heritage Month 2026?

Hispanic Heritage Month 2026 runs from Tuesday, September 15, through Thursday, October 15, 2026. The dates are the same every year because they’re set by federal law, so you can plan your content calendar well in advance.

Why does Hispanic Heritage Month start on September 15?

September 15 is the independence anniversary of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence on September 16 and 18, so the month-long window honors all of those milestones at once.

What is the difference between Hispanic and Latino?

“Hispanic” generally refers to people with roots in Spanish-speaking countries, including Spain, while “Latino” refers to people with roots in Latin America, including Brazil. Both terms are widely used and accepted, and Pew Research Center found that 52% of U.S. Hispanic adults prefer “Hispanic” and 29% prefer “Latino.”

How can a small business celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month without being performative?

Start with action, then talk about it. Buy from Hispanic-owned suppliers, support a local Hispanic-serving nonprofit, and invite employees or customers to share their stories only if they want to. Keep your bilingual content and community involvement going after October 15.

How can I find Hispanic-owned businesses to support?

Your local Hispanic chamber of commerce is the best place to start. The U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce connects more than 260 local chambers and business associations, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce keeps a helpful roundup of Hispanic-owned business directories.

Should businesses market to Hispanic consumers only during Hispanic Heritage Month?

No. Hispanic Heritage Month is a great moment to deepen connections, but customers notice when a brand disappears on October 16. The most effective approach treats Hispanic audiences as a year-round priority, with bilingual service, culturally relevant content, and community partnerships that last.