National Hispanic Heritage Month, Sept. 15 through Oct. 15, is an opportunity to show appreciation for the culture and contributions of Americans whose ancestors came from Spain, South America, Central America, the Caribbean and Mexico.

National Hispanic Heritage Month started 33 years ago when President Ronald Reagan signed it into law in 1988. During the previous 20 years, Americans observed Hispanic Heritage Week.

The annual month-long observance starts in mid-September when numerous Latin American countries celebrate important national holidays. For example, on Sept. 15, five Central American countries annually celebrate their independence from Spain: Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala and Costa Rica. Mexico celebrates on Sept. 16 and Chile celebrates on Sept. 18. Belize celebrates its independence from Great Britain on Sept. 21.

Words matter

Hispanic refers to a person who is from – or is a descendant of someone who is from – a Spanish-speaking country. A Latino (male), Latina (female) or Latinx (gender neutral) refers to a person who is from – or is a descendant of someone who is from – a country in Latin America.

Tools to celebrate Diversity & Inclusion year-round

The history of contributions by Hispanic Americans to the U.S. can be shared throughout the year. In this vein, Illinois REALTORS® Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) Initiative provides tools for REALTORS® to celebrate Hispanic American history and increase the number of Hispanic American REALTORS®. D&I Resources are available online, some highlights include:

Local NAHREP chapters build communities daily

Founded in 1999 in San Diego, CA, the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP) represents more than 30,000 members and 80 local chapters in the U.S. In Illinois, there are four local chapters: Chicago, North, Lake County and Chicago West. The Chicago chapter is the oldest, founded in 2003, followed by North in 2018 and Lake County and Chicago West in 2019.

If you’re looking to expand your network of professional contacts, consider joining one of these organizations or attending one of their future events. Three have public Facebook accounts that can help you connect with members, many of whom are REALTORS®: Chicago, North (Chicago) and Lake County.

For 11 years, NAHREP has released the State of Hispanic Homeownership Report, evaluating how the U.S. Latino population is faring in homeownership and outlining obstacles and opportunities for improvement. The 2020 report documents seven consecutive years of growth in homeownership rates.

Editor’s Note: Celebrate our heritage this year to keep us United, Strong and Resilient

It is the heritage of EVERY one of us that makes our nation great. This year, Illinois REALTORS® has celebrated heritage months by highlighting our industry partners, who help unite us, make us stronger and more resilient.

If you missed our previous stories during Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month or Pride Month, here’s a link to those blog posts. As we progress through the remaining weeks of National Hispanic Heritage Month, you can learn more about our industry partners, get to know some of their rising stars and some of their current leaders.

Please share with us, either in writing or through a video, historical facts and/or stories of prominent historical REALTORS® figures that we may have missed.