Hispanic Heritage Month began in 1988 when President Ronald Reagan ( Republican) extended Hispanic Heritage Week to a 30-day period. President Lyndon B. Johnson inaugurated the original week-long celebration in 1968.

Reagan’s extension officially became law on Aug. 17, 1988, with the enactment of Public Law 100-402. Hispanic Heritage Month lasts from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 every year. The celebration’s opening day coincides with the celebration of national independence in five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. The month also includes Mexican Independence Day on Sept. 16 and Chilean Independence Day on Sept. 18. The extended month also includes Columbus Day on Oct. 12, which many people in Latin America celebrate as Día de la Raza.

Celebrate life for Hispanic Heritage Month – but let’s talk FACT about abortion!

Hispanic women make up about 16 percent of all women in the United States yet they have 25 percent of all abortions, according to the pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute. Abortion clearly has a disparate impact on people of Hispanic ethnicity.

Every day about 720 Hispanic women will abort their unborn child. These and all other women need to be reached with a pro-life message. During this Hispanic Heritage Month, take a look at our many Spanish language resources and share them to help raise awareness about the high abortion numbers within the Hispanic community.

A strong community values every individual in it.

• Today, more than 720 Hispanic women will make the choice to abort their unborn child.  Facts you should know and share (313) 212-1326 • www.RTL.org
• People of Hispanic origin in the United States account for 16.3% of the total U.S. Population – 50,325,523 (US Census 2010)
• Hispanic women are having a disproportionate number of abortions. Hispanic and African-American women together total more than half of all the abortions in the United States — in fact, 55% (Alan Guttmacher Institute 2008)
• 25% of all abortions are being performed on Hispanic women (AGI 2008) but they represent more than 16% of the female population (US Census 2010)
• More than 264,500 unborn Hispanic babies die each year as a result of legalized abortion (AGI 2008)
• For women who are 15 – 44 years old, the abortion rate for non-Hispanic whites is 7.7
  per 1000, but it changes to 15.3 per 1000 for Hispanic women (Center for Disease Control 2012)

SPANISH INTERPRETATION

• Las personas de origen hispano en los Estados Unidos representan el 16,3% de
  la población total de EE.UU. – 50,325,523. (Censo de EE.UU. 2010)
• Las mujeres hispanas tienen un número desproporcionado de abortos. Las mujeres
  hispanas y afro-americanas en conjunto suman más de la mitad de todos los abortos
  en los Estados Unidos – de hecho, el 55% (Instituto Alan Guttmacher 2008)
• 25% de todos los abortos se llevan a cabo en mujeres hispanas (AGI 2008), sin embargo ellas representan el 16% de la población femenina (Censo de EE.UU. 2010)
• Más de 264.500 bebés hispanos no nacidos mueren cada año como resultado de la
  legalización del aborto (AGI 2008)
• Hoy, más de 720 mujeres hispanas tomaran la decisión de abortar a su hijo por nacer (AGI 2008)
• Para las mujeres que de 15 – 44 años, la tasa de aborto para las blancas no hispanas es de 7.7 por 1000, pero cambia a 15.3 por 1000 para las mujeres hispanas (Centro para el Control de Enfermedades 2012).