Topline
President Donald Trump has not yet issued a proclamation recognizing the start of Hispanic Heritage Month, which begins annually on Sept. 15, unlike in his first term, as some celebrations of the cultural month are reportedly being pared back nationwide amid Trump’s immigration raids.
President Donald Trump previously recognized Hispanic Heritage Month during his first term. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
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Key Facts
Trump has not yet issued a proclamation as of Monday afternoon, according to the proclamation section on the White House’s website, and Hispanic Heritage Month has not been mentioned on his Truth Social account or other official White House social media pages.
In Trump’s first term, he issued a proclamation recognizing Hispanic Heritage Month at least one day in advance of Sept. 15 for each of his four years in office.
In his 2020 proclamation, Trump praised the “countless contributions of more than 60 million Hispanic Americans to our culture and society,” calling on educators and public officials to “observe this month with appropriate ceremonies, activities, and programs.”
The White House did not respond to a request for comment from Forbes.
Why Does Hispanic Heritage Month Start On Sept. 15?
Hispanic Heritage Month begins on Sept. 15 because it coincides with the anniversaries of independence for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed a bill recognizing Hispanic Heritage Week, and two decades later, President Ronald Reagan signed a bill expanding the weeklong observance to one month.
Have Other Politicians Recognized Hispanic Heritage Month?
Several politicians, many of them Democrats, have made social media posts recognizing Hispanic Heritage Month. The House Democrats X account called the month a “celebration of the rich history, culture and contributions of the Latino community,” while the X account for the Democratic Party recognized the “significant contributions of the Latino community to the story of America.” Some Democrats singled out Trump and his administration’s immigration raids in their posts. “As we celebrate Latino heritage, Trump and Republicans are pushing a cruel immigration crackdown—empowering ICE agents to detain people based on ethnicity alone,” Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., posted on X Monday morning, slamming the immigration raids as “racist attacks.” Some Republicans, including Rep. Monica De La Cruz, R-Texas, and Rep. María Elvira Salazar, R-Fla., also made posts honoring Hispanic Heritage Month.
Key Background
Some Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations have been slimmed down or canceled this year amid fears over the Trump administration’s immigration raids and efforts to combat diversity, equity and inclusion throughout his second presidential term. The Hispanic Heritage Festival of the Carolinas, which was set to be held in Charlotte, North Carolina, was canceled, as was the FIESTA Indianapolis event, an annual Hispanic Heritage Month celebration in Indiana. Hispanic Heritage Festival of the Carolinas co-founder Rick Herrera told WCCB Charlotte he expected between 10,000 and 11,000 attendees, which he felt may have been an opportunity for immigration authorities to “target our community.” The Spokane, Washington-based organization Latinos en Spokane canceled its upcoming Hispanic Heritage Month events, local outlets reported. Latinos en Spokane executive director Jennyfer Mesa cited the Trump administration’s immigration raids as reason for the cancellation, telling Oregon Public Broadcasting: “We are not in a time of celebration. We can’t celebrate when we know that our kids are being left without parents, that we are living in absolute fear every single day, and we continue to be targeted.”
Tangent
Earlier this year, Trump issued a proclamation recognizing Black History Month one day before the observance began in February, but his statement was markedly shorter than those he issued in his first term. In this year’s proclamation, Trump said Black Americans have been among the country’s “most consequential leaders,” naming historical figures like Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass, as well as Black conservatives including economist Thomas Sowell and Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. But unlike proclamations made during his first term, Trump made no reference to slavery, the Civil Rights Movement or landmark pieces of civil rights legislation.
Further Reading
Annual Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations make adjustments in current political climate (Associated Press)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/conormurray/2025/09/15/trump-hasnt-proclaimed-hispanic-heritage-month-yet-unlike-in-first-term/
