At Farm Sanctuary, we honor Latin American & Hispanic Heritage Month, a month-long celebration from September 15 to October 15. Latin American & Hispanic Heritage Month is dedicated to celebrating the cultures, contributions, and leadership of people of Latin American and Hispanic heritage and recognizing the ongoing efforts to counter the discrimination and injustice experienced by these communities.

Originally introduced as Hispanic Heritage Week in 1968 and later Hispanic Heritage Month in 1988, this federal proclamation marked the anniversary of the Mexican War of Independence which resulted in independence for what are now Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Honduras, and Nicaragua from the colonial rule of Spain.

The fight against systemic racism and injustices people of Hispanic and Latin American heritage face continue today. As LULAC National President Domingo Garcia said, “People say you can see life as a glass half empty or a glass half full. That’s easy to say when you have a glass first and second, there’s already something in it. National Hispanic Heritage Month is a good time to learn the facts about life’s realities for millions of Latinos in the United States to see us truly.”

A critical issue of our U.S. food system is that Latin American and Hispanic communities in the U.S. are disproportionately impacted by food insecurity. Latin American and Hispanic communities represent the majority of farmworkers harvesting food in the U.S. and yet 1 in 6 Latin American and Hispanic individuals and 18.5% of Latin American and Hispanic children experienced food insecurity in 2021. As Teresa Romero, President of United Farm Workers (UFW), said, “[Farm workers] harvest the food that we eat and sometimes they don’t have food on their table.”

During Latin American & Hispanic Heritage Month, we recognize the mutual aid and food justice leaders, including vegan food justice activists, who have and are working tirelessly in collaboration with these communities to support food relief and build food sovereignty. 

• Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez co-founded the United Farm Workers (UFW). Prior to their leadership, essential farm workers had little to no rights and no means to fight for basic needs like clean drinking water. Huerta coined the phrase “¡Sí Se Puede!” (Yes, we can!) and today both Huerta and Chavez are revered as civil rights icons.
• Food Empowerment Project (FEP), founded by vegan Chicanx activist lauren Ornelas, seeks to create a more just and sustainable world by recognizing the power of one’s food choices. A vegan food justice organization, FEP encourages healthy food choices that reflect a more compassionate society by spotlighting the abuse of animals on farms, the depletion of natural resources, unfair working conditions for produce workers, and the unavailability of healthy foods in low-income areas. 
• The Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) is a worker-based human rights organization internationally recognized for its achievements in fighting human trafficking and gender-based violence at work. The CIW is also recognized for pioneering the design and development of the Worker-driven Social Responsibility paradigm, a worker-led, market-enforced approach to the protection of human rights in corporate supply chains. The Harvard Business Review named the Fair Food Program among the 15 “most important social-impact success stories of the past century.”
• Chilis on Wheels, founded by queer Puerto Rican activist Michelle Carrera and co-led by Executive Director at Chilis on Wheels NY Eloísa Trinidad, makes veganism accessible to communities in need through services such as meal shares, food demos, clothing drives, and mentorship. Chilis on Wheels provides networks of support and builds strong empowered communities within the areas they serve. Carrera is also the founder of Casa Vegana de la Comunidad, a vegan sustainability community center in Puerto Rico, and Trinidad is co-founder of Vegan Activist Alliance.
• Todo Verde was founded by Jocelyn Ramirez with a mission to create delicious and healthy plant-based food inspired by her Mexican-Ecuadorian roots and a commitment to creating more accessible recipes and meals for her community. Ramirez is the author of the cookbook La Vida Verde.

These are just a few examples of the leadership that represents the significance and influence of those of Latin American and Hispanic heritage as well as the tremendous work that remains to be done toward greater equity and justice.

Farm Sanctuary celebrates all of our staff, volunteers, board, and community members of Latin American and Hispanic Heritage and the amazing contributions and dedication of Latin American and Hispanic leaders, organizers, and community leaders.

What’s the Difference Between Hispanic and Latin American?
People who self-identify as Hispanic are descendants of people from Spain or from Spanish-speaking countries. Latin American refers to those who are from or are descendants of people from Latin America who may self-identify as Latino, Latina, Latinx or Latine, among other terms. Though some may use the descriptors interchangeably, it is always best to ask someone how they self-identify to determine which term to use when referring to them.

At Farm Sanctuary, we share acknowledgements of various heritage and history months, awareness weeks, and days of recognition throughout the year to celebrate and honor the diverse cultures and lived experiences of our community and to show respect for and affirm the dignity of those who have been historically oppressed and marginalized. We do this in tandem with internal initiatives to foster an organizational culture that supports greater equity, social justice, and belonging.

Please support the ongoing Hurricane Ian relief. The Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), one of our program partners, shared about ways to support residents who have been impacted, who are largely of Latin American and Hispanic heritage.