ACPS Celebrates Our Hispanic Community
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In Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS), we are excited to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month! Nearly 38% of our students in ACPS are Hispanic, representing our largest demographic group. Each year, we join together as a community from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 to celebrate the cultures and contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans with ancestors who came to the U.S. from Central America, South America, the Caribbean, Mexico and Spain. This year’s theme is “Unidos: Inclusivity for a Stronger Nation.”
Hispanic Heritage Week was first observed in 1968 under President Lyndon Johnson. It was later expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period. Sept. 15 marks the anniversary of independence for some countries in Central and South America, including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on Sept. 16 and Sept. 18, respectively. Indigenous Peoples Day and Día de la Raza falls within this 30-day period, as well.
Hispanic heritage helped to shape Alexandria, with a long history of residents who moved here from Central and South America. A large community from El Salvador settled, in the 1980’s, in the neighborhood now called Chirilagua, named after a city in El Salvador. You can access a Cultural History of Arlandria-Chirilagua in English and Spanish to find out more about the significance of this settlement. In celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month, Alexandria Library is also highlighting book selections and databases that further explore the history and contributions of Hispanic Americans.
Within ACPS, we can all come together this month to celebrate the many contributions of Hispanic Americans in our community, learning from their history and celebrating the culture. ACPS schools will be hosting events and sharing resources throughout the month. National Hispanic Heritage month’s theme stresses the importance of inclusivity for a stronger nation, and that is what ACPS and its 2025 Strategic Plan is working to move forward each day across our school division.
- 2022-23
- National Hispanic Heritage Month
- diversity