Thursday, October 1, 2026
The Olympia City Council endorsed a proclamation designating Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, 2026, as Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month, joining an observance across the country.
The proclamation, adopted by the city council on Tuesday, Sept. 15, recognizes the contributions of Hispanic and Latinx communities in the arts, education, agriculture, civil rights, government, science, technology and innovation.
Hispanic Heritage Month was established nationally in 1968 as National Hispanic Heritage Week under then-President Lyndon B. Johnson. The observance was expanded to a month in 1988 under then-President Ronald Reagan, and is now held annually from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15, coinciding with independence commemorations of several Latin American countries.
The city’s proclamation also acknowledges challenges facing Hispanic and Latinx residents, including uncertainty, displacement, threats to safety and barriers to civic and community participation.
The proclamation addresses concerns about family separation and access to resources, while reaffirming the city’s commitment to safety, dignity, human rights and equitable access to city services.
“The proclamation is intended to recognize the full experience of Hispanic and Latinx community members,” states a staff report on the issue. “While celebratory in nature, it also acknowledges current circumstances that affect residents today.”
The proclamation comes ahead of the fourth annual Lula Fest, a free arts and culture celebration scheduled for Sept. 26 at Capitol Theater in downtown Olympia. The festival runs from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. and feature live music, food, vendors, cultural programming and a classic lowrider car show.
Lulu Fest Organizer Miguel Pineda said this year’s event carries special meaning for him because it honors his grandfather and godfather, Jose Valadez, a longtime Olympia resident who died in the past year.
Pineda described Valadez as a catalyst for community events, arts organizing and arts funding.
Lula Fest launched in Olympia in 2023 through a partnership involving Pineda, Ultimano Comms+ and the city. Olympia has continued supporting the event.
This year’s festival’s theme is “Ser audaces al celebrar el passado cultural, para constuir un future major” (Be bold in celebrating cultural past, in order to build a better future).
The celebration will also include an exhibition organized by Colectiva Cocuya, an intersectional feminist arts and social justice organization active in Olympia, Seattle and Tacoma.
Marcela Soto Ramirez, the exhibition’s lead curator, said the group is preparing an exhibit honoring Latinx and Chicanx heritage.
Alice Nelson, another member of Colectiva Cocuya, said the exhibit will feature posters from the Chicano Latino Archive and The Evergreen State College. She described the archive as a “hidden treasure.”
Pineda said Colectiva Cocuya’s participation is significant because this year’s festival centers on the voice of women.
“We are very thankful that the collectivas put together this work to help us remember what we’ve already done and what we are going to continue to do,” said Pineda to the city council. “Our existence is resistance, and also remembering is resistance.”
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TheVirtualOne
When is Tuvaluan Heritage Month?
Friday, September 18 Report this
Snevets
Thank you for sharing & thank you for continuing the support of our most important Hispanic and Latinx communities.
Saturday, September 19 Report this
notdeskandchairs
Latinx ? Isn't that just a contrived WOKE term?
Saturday, September 19 Report this
TheVirtualOne
notdeskandchairs - It was created in the early 2000s, largely within online *****, academic, and activist communities. It is a gender-neutral term used to describe people with Latin American heritage. It replaces the masculine -o or feminine -a endings in Latino and Latina with an -x.
Sounds like it is exactly what you said. :-)
Saturday, September 19 Report this
CobraCommander
TheVirtualOne - just say you're a white nationalist. Own it.
Monday, September 21 Report this
Southsoundguy
lol
Monday, September 21 Report this
Mugwump
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Monday, September 21 Report this
ViaLocal
Love to see cities show their support for their communities and the different cultures that reside in them!
Tuesday, September 22 Report this