What is Hispanic Heritage Month? Get all the details about the history and meaning of the national observance, plus why we celebrate it today.

To mark the start of Hispanic Heritage Month, we thought we'd take a look at a few of the many ways Austin recognizes its Latino influence. Why it matters: How Texas and immigrant history is told remains very much an animated,

Before Hispanic Heritage Month became a month of celebration, the observation was only held for a week in 1968 under President Lyndon B. Johnson. Two decades later, on Aug. 17, 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed a law that expanded it to a 30-day period starting from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 annually, the Census said.