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Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15 to October 15 every year. It was started in 1968 and has become a national celebration that includes arts festivals and music events from New York to Los Angeles. How did Hispanic Heritage Month start? What famous Hispanic Americans are celebrated today? And what is this year’s theme? Find out the answers to these questions and more. READ MORE AT WE ARE TEACHERS

Few words have soured for me like the word “toxic.” Paired with words like “masculinity,” it might sound like it’s saying something, but I’m not actually convinced it says much beyond “this broad category of social behavior is bad, just trust me.” But when the question “Do Chicanos have a toxic gratitude problem?” was posed to me, it landed in an interesting way, perhaps because it’s something I’ve long suspected to be true but was never sure if it applied to any experiences beyond my own. I still don’t like the term “toxic gratitude.” I’d rather call it something cooler, like “Si Dios Quiere Syndrome.” Much better. Regardless, the question still stands: Do Chicanos, or, I suppose one could also ask, do Latinos in the U.S. have a gratitude problem? In other words, are we too content with scraps? READ MORE AT LA TIMES

Nike is honouring Latino Heritage Month with special edition sneakers.The sportswear giant is putting out its Air Max 1 ‘Familia’ on the heels of the release of its ‘Puerto Rico’ pair in June, which dropped in time for the National Puerto Rican Day Parade.

It’s Latino Heritage Month (LHM) edition is painted in vibrant colours to reflect the energy and festivity of the Latin American population. READ MORE AT THE HOMETOWN REGISTER

As patterns of immigration from Latin America change, Venezuelans have now become the fastest-growing Latino group in the U.S., according to the report, which also noted that immigrants make up a declining share of Latinos in the country.

Between 2010 and 2021, the Venezuelan population in the U.S. increased by 169%, from roughly 240,000 to 640,000, researchers found.. Dominicans and Guatemalans followed with growth rates of 60% each.

While Mexicans remain the largest Latino origin group, they had the slowest growth rate — 13%. READ MORE AT THE LA TIMES

Crossing the stage and graduating is not an easy task, and for Latino students it seems to be even more difficult, as the education gap between Latino and white, non-Hispanic students has widened within the last four years.

A recent report by Excelencia in Education, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that promotes Latino student achievement, shows that the number of Latino students enrolled in colleges is up but the graduation rate has not seen an increase. READ MORE AT THE LOS ANGELES TIMES

From the get-go, Puerto Rican director Àngel Manuel Soto understood the responsibility and pride of making history with "Blue Beetle" (in theaters Friday), DC's first Latino-led superhero movie.

"We never get this chance to tell stories like this," he says. "Much less, to show us as heroes to the world (and) in a cinematic universe that's so followed and in a genre that includes us as sidekicks at best." READ MORE AT USA TODAY

Hispanic American financial institutions were created to provide services to low-income and minority communities, particularly Hispanic American communities. Historically, Hispanic Americans have been affected by discriminatory lending practices like redlining and experienced limited economic opportunities to build wealth.

Hispanic American banks were founded in areas where minority communities lived. These financial institutions were able to connect with their local communities and fill the banking gap by addressing areas like language and culture. READ MORE AT INSIDER

As the U.S. population has become more diverse, so has ownership of the nation’s businesses. There were more Hispanic-owned businesses overall and more minority-owned businesses in various sectors in 2020 than a decade earlier, according to the Census Bureau’s 2021 Annual Business Survey (ABS).

The diversity of business owners mirrors the changing profile of the nation’s population. The 2020 Census found that the population of nearly all race and ethnicity groups in the United States had grown since 2010 with the exception of the White alone population, which declined during the decade. READ MORE AT CENSUS.GOV

Investing in stocks or opening retirement savings accounts has long been elusive for many Latinos, but social media and podcasts that offer culturally relevant financial coaching are turning that on its head. U.S. Latinos' economic power is growing, yet they are less likely than their non-Hispanic white counterparts to have savings, retirement and non-retirement investment accounts. READ MORE AT AXIOS

Although the situation is improving, Latinos and especially Mexican Americans, remain very underrepresented in US health professions that require advanced degrees, according to a study published today in the journal Health Affairs. The study by George Washington University researchers is the first to examine the representation of the four largest Latino populations in the US health workforce and the findings raise concerns about the lack of diversity in the US health workforce. READ MORE AT MILKEN INSTITUTE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH

UnidosUS, the nation’s largest Latino civil rights and advocacy organization, honored five leaders and trailblazers tonight for creating meaningful change for the Latino community. UnidosUS President and CEO Janet Murguía presented the awards during the gala marking the conclusion of the organization’s 2023 Annual Conference in Chicago.

“These honorees personify the tenacity and fortitude it takes to make meaningful and enduring strides toward equity,” said UnidosUS President and CEO Janet Murguía. “These are the people who reflect the true fabric of our country. The leaders committed to ensuring the Latino perspective is woven into all parts of our society, whether it’s the media, community development, or activism.” READ MORE AT UNIDOSUS

According to the 2019 Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF), significant wealth disparities exist between families of different races and ethnicities, including between white households and Hispanic/Latino households. White families have a median wealth of $188,200, whereas Hispanic families have a median wealth of $36,100. Another way to look at the SCF data is that the average white family has five times the wealth of the average Hispanic family. READ MORE AT BROOKINGS

Latinos, as well as other underrepresented groups, often face significant challenges and barriers to pursuing higher education. In reality, racial disparities and discrimination persist in numerous aspects of society, especially in higher education. There are disparities in college enrollment rates, graduation rates, access to resources, and representation among faculty and staff members. READ MORE AT THE BOSTON GLOBE

Latino Conservation Week kicks off this weekend with dozens of events in California and almost 300 meetups across the nation. The program started ten years ago with just 16 events, meant to get the Hispanic community outdoors and motivated to protect the environment.

Next month, the Hispanic Access Foundation will launch an air-quality monitoring program called "El Aire que Respiramos", which means "The air we breathe." It is a collaboration with the Environmental Protection Agency that will place air-monitoring equipment in Los Angeles, La Mirada, San Bernardino and Thermal. READ MORE AT PUBLIC NEWS SERVICE

Radio is immensely popular among US Latinos. According to Nielsen, broadcast radio leads all other platforms in reaching Latino audiences on a monthly basis. In 2022, 97 per cent of US Latinos tuned in to radio each month, compared to 92 per cent of the general population. From 2017 to 2022, live TV viewership declined 13 per cent among Latinos to 84 per cent.

Spanish is also the US’s most common non-English language, spoken by nearly 50mn people in the country — 12 times greater than the next four most common languages, according to Census Bureau data. READ MORE AT FINANCIAL TIMES

Cisco Systems, the multinational tech giant based in San Jose, has no Latino on its board of directors. Ditto for Intel, the world’s largest semiconductor manufacturer, headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif.

Ditto for Tesla — which moved offices to Austin, Texas, from Palo Alto last year — and for a host of other Fortune 100 companies with millions of Latino customers, employees and suppliers. Among them: Amazon, FedEx, Albertsons, Kroger, Walgreens Boots Alliance, Exxon Mobil, Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase, United Parcel Service and Berkshire Hathaway.

Latinos are the nation’s largest ethnic or racial minority — accounting for 18.9% of the population — and its fastest-growing group. READ MORE AT YAHOO FINANCE

A recent data analysis of the 2020 census shows the number of Latino children in the U.S. grew by more than 1 million in a 10-year period.

The analysis, conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, offers additional insight into the U.S. population and the ways it has changed since the previous census in 2010. Researchers found that 25.7% (18.8 million) of all U.S. children under 18 were of Latino origin in 2020, up from 23.1% (17.1 million) in 2010.

The Latino population also saw an increase in their overall median age to 30 years old, up 2.7 years from 2010. Non-Hispanics’ median age also grew, but less: they reached a median of 41.1 years of age in 2020, up 1.5 years from 2010. READ MORE AT NBCNEWS

Hispanics are now confirmed as the largest demographic group in Texas with more than 12 million residents, while non-Hispanic white population is estimated to be 11.9 million, according to new data from the Census Bureau.

Texas added 262,000 new white residents, as well as about 223,000 Hispanic residents from July 2021 to July 2022, but overall Hispanic population outnumbered white population by 128,938 people. READ MORE AT THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS

The Illinois Office of Tourism recognizes the rich diversity across the state, and as Pride Month approaches, it’s developed a guide highlighting  the various activities  throughout the month. Illinois has significant historical and educational opportunities for residents and visitors to engage in during the month, in addition to various celebrations across the state. 

The guide offers Illinois residents and visitors alike opportunities  to celebrate and support the LGBTQ+ community throughout Pride month. Whether it is a Pride parade in Elgin or Aurora, attending the House Music Festival & Conference in Chicago, a family-friendly Pride Picnic in Galena or simply an educational activity like a stroll through the historic Northalsted Legacy Walk in Chicago, the guide to celebrate Pride in Illinois  has a variety of diverse, educational and engaging opportunities to observe Pride Month.

Some of the featured activities include:

• Elgin’s First Pride Parade & Festival (June 3) is an all-ages, family-friendly event featuring a festival celebration with food, music and various vendors that will be followed by a parade in Downtown.
• Aurora Pride Parade (June 11) will host its fourth annual parade, beginning at noon Downtown and celebrating its LGBTQIA+ community and allies.
• House Music Festival & Conference (June 24)presented in conjunction with the Taste of Chicago pop-up in Humboldt Park, the House festival brings a full day of DJs to the mainstage, including DJ Roy Davis Jr., DJ Psycho-B, NoshaLuv, DJ Emmaculate, and DJ V, with more to be announced.
• Galena Pride Picnic (June 10) the third annual picnic in Grant Park, will feature a full agenda, including live music, drag queen story time, tai chi and a meet and greet with goats.
• Woodstock Pride (June 10–11) is an all-day celebration beginning with a parade and ending with a fabulous closing ceremony in Historic Woodstock Square, featuring live entertainment, vendors and food trucks. Additional events include a Rainbow Color Fun Run and Pride Pub Crawl.
• The Queer Fam Pride Jam (June 17) is an all-ages Pride event featuring a day’s worth of wellness, creativity-focused events, culminating in a family-friendly Slo ‘Mo dance party
• The Annual Quad City UNITY Pride Parade  (June 17) will be held at Schwiebert Riverfront Park, featuring live music, local vendors, drag performances and burlesque. In addition, Pride Movies will be hosted at the Frigge on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Sundays during June.
• Chicago Pride in the Park (June 23 - 24) is a two-day music fest celebrating equity, diversity, and good times in Grant Park. Portions of proceeds support The Center on Halsted and provide free entries to LGBTQ+ youth in support of celebrating their pride openly and safely. 
• Chicago Pride Parade (June 25) is one of the most popular LGBTQ+ events in the Chicago region, the parade concludes month-long celebrations with a parade the last Sunday in June through Northalsted, Uptown, Lakeview and Lincoln Park neighborhoods.

There are so many ways to celebrate Pride Month across Illinois! Find out more at EnjoyIllinois.com.

A recent study finds the financial capability of Latinos improved over the last decade, but obstacles to Latino wealth remain.

Between 2009 and 2021, the number of Latinos reporting that they had set aside some amount of emergency savings nearly doubled, from 29% in 2009 to 48% in 2021. On the whole, Latino adults reported they were “better able to manage everyday money matters” and experienced less “financial fragility” in 2021 compared to 2009. READ MORE AT MARKETWATCH