Welcome to Learning English, a daily 30 minute program from The Voice of America.

I'm Brian Lynn.

And I'm Katie Weaver.

This program is aimed at English learners.

So we speak slowly and we use words and phrases especially written for people learning English.

Coming up, Andrew Smith presents Ask a Teacher. We also have words and their stories from Anna Mateo. And we close the show with an American story. But first,

celebrations across the United States are taking place to mark National Hispanic Heritage Month.

It is a yearly tradition that honors the diversity and culture of Hispanic people.

The month-long period is a chance for many in the U.S. to learn about what Hispanics have given to American culture.

It is celebrated each year from September 15th to October 15th.

The group includes people whose ancestors come from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central

and South America.

The latest census estimates there are more than 65 million people identified as

ethnically Hispanic in the U.S. Before there was National Hispanic Heritage Month, there was Hispanic Heritage Week.

President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the law in 1968. The U.S. Library of Congress says every

president since Johnson has issued a proclamation for National Hispanic Heritage Month.

On September 13th, President Joe Biden issued a proclamation

recognizing September 15th through October 15th as National Hispanic Heritage Month.

Rachel Gonzales Martin is an associate professor of Mexican American and Latino studies at the University of Texas at Austin.

She said the celebration has grown over the past 10 years because of the larger number of Latinos in the U.S.

She noted that Hispanic Heritage Month was an official recognition of belonging

that became really powerful.

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