ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) - September 15 marks the first day of Hispanic Heritage Month.

This month, we celebrate countless influential Hispanic and Latinx people, rich history and a lively culture.

The celebration lasts from September 15 to October 15 every year. What started as a week-long time of recognition, brought about by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968, was expanded to last a whole month by President Ronald Reagan in 1988.

The month starts in mid-September and ends in mid-October because many Central American countries celebrate their independence days within that time frame.

Today, the Latinx community in the United States is about 18.9% of the total population. That’s over 60 million people.

WALB wants to wish you all a happy Hispanic Heritage Month!

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