National Hispanic Heritage Month was September 15th to October 15th and throughout the month, Gentherm found many ways to commemorate the cultures, histories and contributions of the Hispanic and Latinx community in the United States. This also gave us the opportunity to celebrate our many diverse employees who are of Hispanic or Latinx descent.

A look back at the history.

Hispanic Heritage Month began in 1968 during President Lyndon Johnson’s administration. It was introduced by Congressman George E. Brown, with the intention of celebrating the many efforts and contributions of the Latinx community in the United States. The day of September 15th is significant because it is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16th and September 18th.

How did Gentherm celebrate?

Throughout the month, we highlighted the achievements of notable Hispanic and Latinx people like Mario Molina, José Andrés and Dominican-American poet Julia Alvarez. We showcased historically significant facts about the holiday and its significance, as well as provided employees with resources on how they could learn more about Hispanic and Latinx heritage, art and culture, national parks and monuments. We provided a list of fiction and nonfiction books from notable Hispanic and Latinx authors and took a moment to hear from our diverse workforce who helped us pay homage to their unique backgrounds in a video produced by our Diversity, Equity + Inclusion Council.