September 15 marked the first day of National Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month! This heritage month, which runs through October 15, begins in mid-September as a nod to the anniversaries of national independence for a number of Latin American countries. Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua all celebrate their independence on September 15. Mexico’s independence is celebrated on September 16, and Chile’s independence is celebrated on September 18.

Starting this past Wednesday, SSFS began celebrating the many contributions of the Latinx Community both at SSFS and in the world. In the Lower and Middle School, bulletin board displays have been created to highlight LatinX authors and changemakers. Advisory groups in the Upper School were quizzed on their knowledge of Hispanic/Latinx history. Additionally, our IG team has compiled books from our library’s collection that highlight Hispanic/Latinx stories. Our School, with the support of the SSFS Office of Institution Equity, Justice, and Belonging, will be celebrating in a variety of ways throughout the month including educational activities, guest speakers, and more!

Hispanic/LatinX Heritage Month Quiz

Test your knowledge and learn something new by taking our Upper School Advisories’ Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month Quiz!

• When was Hispanic Heritage month first celebrated?
• Which US States once belonged to Mexico?
• What was the first settlement in the continental United States and who founded it?
• What is the name of the first Hispanic female governor of New Mexico and the first Hispanic female governor in the history of the United States?
• The co-creator of reCaptcha and DuoLingo is a Latinx man. Who is he and where is he from?
• Which Latin American countries celebrate their Independence Day on September 15th?
• Name two of the four Latin American countries that do not have Spanish as an official language.
• Known as El Libertador, this man served as a leader of the independence movement throughout Latin America.
• What is his name and what are three countries that he is credited with leading?
• When is Mexican Independence Day?

Answers: 1. 1988 2. California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Colorado 3. St. Augustine, FL founded by Pedro Menéndez de Avilés 4. Susana Martinez 5. Luis Von Ahn - Guatemala City, Guatemala 6. Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala 7. Brazil, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana (Any two of these four) 8. Simón Bolívar ( Any three of Venezuela, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Panama, Gran Colombia) 9. September 16th