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September 15, the middle of September, means we're that much closer to Halloween and days away from it officially being fall. But it's the start of Hispanic Heritage Month as well. Also known as Latinx Heritage Month, it's a 30-day commemoration that celebrates the history, culture and contributions of "American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America," according to Emily Key, director of education at the Smithsonian Latino Center. 

Why does Hispanic Heritage Month begin mid-month? READ MORE AT PARADE

When kids and teens learn about cultures, they broaden their view of the world and deepen their understanding of others. Heritage is the story of where we come from and what we bring forward into our future.

Hispanic and Latino heritage is rich with history, culture and exciting contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans past and present. Hispanic & Latino Heritage Month offers families, teachers and afterschool providers an opportunity to explore these vibrant cultures. READ MORE AT BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF AMERICA

Investments from Latino and Latina-led venture capital firms contributed to the creation of an estimated 51,600 jobs last year, according to a new report. These gains come even as Latinos and other people of color remain deeply underrepresented in the VC world. Last year, Latinos and Latinas represented 1.6% of all investment professionals in larger U.S. firms, or those managing more than $100 million in assets, according to the new report from SomosVC, a nonprofit pushing for greater representation. READ MORE AT AXIOS

We’ve enjoyed an impressive run of fact-based sports sagas during the past year — “Nyad,” “The Boys in the Boat” and “The Young Woman and the Sea” leap to mind — but in terms of amazing actual events, this one’s the best. READ MORE AT THE DAVIS ENTERPRISE

During the summer, when Hollywood produces blockbusters that cater to those on vacation from school and looking to beat the heat, Latinos are consistently the group that boosts box office success. In an industry coming under increasing pressure from streaming platforms and strikes, Hollywood’s Latino fans are the most avid moviegoers per capita in the U.S. READ MORE AT NBC NEWS

Over the past few decades, Latinos have become the largest racial or ethnic minority in the United States, making up nearly 20 percent of the country’s population. Despite that, many Latinos feel alienated by our medical system, due to cultural and language barriers, and a lack of Latino physicians — and those barriers can have a real impact on their overall health. READ MORE AT PBS

Foreign-born Hispanic or Latino workers made up 8.2 percent of the employed U.S. workforce, but 14.0 percent of work-related deaths in 2021. Fatal injuries to this group were most prevalent in the field of construction, with falls, slips, and trips being the most frequent event leading to death. READ MORE AT U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS

Yoloxochitl “Yolo” Lopez DeMarco is one of the many Hispanics in the Region who is taking her financial future into her own hands. Her company is among the 5 million Latino/Hispanic-owned businesses nationwide generating more than $800 billion in annual revenue, according to a report by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. READ MORE AT NORTHWEST INDIANA BUSINESS MAGAZINE

Building a diverse workforce representative of today’s homebuyers is more than just good business strategy, it’s a moral obligation for the housing industry. The demographics of first-time homebuyers in this country are shifting, with Latinos playing an increasingly significant role. READ MORE AT HOUSINGWIRE

While the number of Latinos — the nation’s largest minority group — graduating college has increased in the last two decades, they remain underpaid and underrepresented in the workforce, a reality that may require more Latinos in positions of power to facilitate change. READ MORE AT ASSOCIATED PRESS

Latino/a entrepreneurs continue to be a force for economic development in the United States: They own 4.7 million businesses that generate more than $800 billion annually. But they are not monolithic. A new report highlights the role played by women, immigrants, and new technologies in the growth of Latino/a-owned businesses. READ MORE AT THE STANFORD REPORT

According to a December 2023 report from the U.S Chamber of Commerce, despite headwinds from high inflation and a tight labor market, small business confidence was up at year-end and remains steady after the first quarter of 2024.

And that is good news for business owners, including the more than 600,000 Hispanic small business owners in Florida. The Sunshine State ranks as the second highest in the number of Hispanic small business owners.. READ MORE AT YAHOO FINANCE

Latinos outpace non-Latinos in the United States by wide margins in purchasing power and annualized income growth, as well as business creation, growth and resiliency. While Latinos make up 20% of the U.S. population, Latinos comprise just 1% of franchise owners. READ MORE AT FRANCHISE WIRE

While the gender pay gap persists for all women relative to their white male counterparts, it has long been widest for Latinas, who are paid 46% less than white men and 26% less than white women. One explanation offered for this gap has been that Latinas are more likely to hold low-wage jobs—but research indicates that those pay disparities remain in place among women who are more educated or work in more lucrative industries. READ MORE AT FAST COMPANY

The fastest growing Hispanic food company in the country, based in Central Texas, is helping empower and support Latino communities across the U.S. This year, Siete Family Foods is awarding a total of $300,000 to Latino-owned food and beverage establishments across the country, marking its biggest distribution to date. READ MORE AT MYSANANTONIO

Despite being the largest minority group in the United States, 19% of the population, Latinos are underrepresented in both the media and film and television productions. According to a study by the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative at the University of California, the data has not improved in the last 16 years. In nearly two decades, only 75 actors in lead or co-lead roles were Latino, which means that the representation of actors of Latino origin in Hollywood is only 4.4%. READ MORE AT EL PAIS

Latinas are one of the most powerful women in the United States but it’s still an uphill battle when it comes to financial equality. Latina entrepreneurs create businesses 50x more than the national average and Latinas college rates have skyrocketed over the last 20 years. READ MORE AT HIP LATINA

The wealth gap between white families and their Black and Latino counterparts has widened by more than $1 million, according to a new analysis by the Urban Institute, a nonpartisan think tank that focuses on economic and social policy research. White families have a median wealth of $284,310, more than four times that of Latinos ($62,120). Additionally, the analysis found that the wealth gap widens with age — on average, white families accumulate more wealth over their lives than Latino families in the same age group. READ MORE AT THE LOS ANGELES TIMES

In 2023, there were more than 9.5 million Latino homeowners in the United States, according to a report by the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals®. In other words, about half of Latinos in the U.S. own their homes. In Chicago, that figure stood at around 43% in 2017, nonprofit Prosperity Now reported. READ MORE AT AUSTIN WEEKLY NEWS

A new report examining Latino wealth in six U.S. states shows that New York — where Puerto Ricans and Dominicans make up the largest Latino ethnic groups — has the highest wealth disparities between Latino and white households. 

The Brookings Metro report shows that white households in New York hold 40 times the wealth of Latino households. That’s a stark contrast to Illinois — home to the smallest Latino-white wealth gap — where white households hold 1.9 times the wealth of Latino households. READ MORE AT LOS ANGELES