Las Vegas Prepares to Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15th

Hispanic Heritage Month is an annual celebration saluting the cultures and contributions of Hispanics and Latinos to the United States. Las Vegas is known to celebrate the month-long event fabulously to honor members of the Latin American community who play significant roles in the Strip and other casino resorts across the valley.

This year, Hispanic Heritage Month will kick off from September 15^th to October 15^th. However, events linked to Latino culture will extend until December 7^th. Some events are also lined up for just before the celebration officially begins on September 12^th.

Array of Events

Las Vegas has a full roster of events for the annual celebration, starting on Friday, September 13^th. The event will officially commence with a concert by Nathan Brian Wine and his 22-member Jazz Ensemble at the Centennial Hills Park Amphitheater. Other key events during the period include:

• September 14^th: The Latin American Countries' Independence Celebration
• October 5^th: The XXIV Binational Health Fair will offer free health screenings, dental care, flu vaccines, immunizations, etc.
• October 12^th: Once Upon a Quince will give randomly selected 14 – 16-year-olds a grand quinceanera.

These events will be hosted at the East Las Vegas Community Center. Many of Latin music's top musicians are also expected to flock to the city to perform spectacular shows at other iconic Vegas venues. The Resorts World Theater is set to host Lucero & Mijares on September 13^th, while Cuco performs at the Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas on the 14^th.

The Thriving Hispanic Community in Las Vegas

Las Vegas's strive to capture the essence of Latino culture is mainly rooted in the high number of people who call the city home. The US Census Bureau estimates that 214,000 Latino and Hispanic people reside within the City of Las Vegas. The Culinary Union Local 226 refers to the same communities as the backbone of the casino resort industry. The union, representing over 60,000 Las Vegas and Reno workers in roles like housekeepers, cooks, and bellhops, says 54% of its members are of Latin American heritage.

Controversial Title

While month-long fiestas highlight Hispanic Heritage Month, its name has long been controversial. According to The Smithsonian National Museum of the American Latino, the term Hispanic signals a connection to Spain or the Spanish language. On the other hand, Latino resonates with one's ancestral roots in Latin America. However, the term Hispanic has become more embraced and favored over Latino.

Cristina Mora, a sociologist at the University of California, explains, "Hispanic was never a term that everybody loved, but it was a term that got a lot of support from within Latinos in the Nixon administration and, later, the Ford administration."