SACRAMENTO, Calif. — For Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrated from Sept. 15, to Oct. 15, ABC10 is highlighting stories in the Hispanic community.
Tucked away in midtown’s Placita MX is a small gift shop with huge colors and beautiful imported products from Mexico The store is aptly named Kulture Midtown.
“We moved in about almost three years ago into our store,” David Garcia, Kulture Midtown co-owner said. “From there, other little shops began to open here as time went on.”
For Garcia and the other shop owners, celebrating Hispanic Heritage is an everyday thing. Though he’s glad it’s recognized, Garcia said he’s actually not all that familiar with Hispanic Heritage Month.
“I hadn't really ever heard about it too much, it seems like lately, its really started growing," Garcia said, “You hear about it a lot more on TV, you hear about it a lot on social media.”
So where did it all start? The Library of Congress says Hispanic Heritage Month started as Hispanic Heritage Week back in 1968 when Lyndon B. Johnson was president. It was expanded to a month in 1988 by Ronald Reagan.
Sept. 15, the kickoff to the month-long celebration, is the anniversary of Independence for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days later, on Sept. 16 and 18.
“Over the years, it’s grown significantly,” Marco Rodriguez, president of the Mexican Cultural Center of Northern California, said.
Rodriguez says Hispanic Heritage Month is a celebration of all Hispanic and Latin cultures, each rich and unique in their own way.
“It has to do with getting to know each other and what makes, a Cuban culture unique, what makes Puerto Rican culture unique and how they all form,” Rodriguez said, “I think it's about learning the uniqueness and the good things about our cultures.”
Watch more:
Stockton man wins America's Got Talent