On Tuesday, the City Council officially proclaimed the month of Sept. 15 through Oct. 15 as Hispanic Heritage Month.

The City of Costa Mesa will celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month by launching a virtual program, featuring  the profiles and stories of Hispanic City leaders, City Employees and business owners that chronicles their contributions to the community.

Council Members Manuel Chavez, Arlis Reynolds and Andrea Marr, who were elected in 2018 and became the first members of the City Council of Hispanic heritage, will be featured in the campaign.

“The Hispanic community has deep roots in the City of Costa Mesa,” Mayor Katrina Foley said. “Today, residents of Hispanic and Latino origin represent 36 percent of the City’s population and by celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month we encourage all Costa Mesa residents to increase their cultural awareness and learn the important role that our Hispanic and Latino community has played in contributing to our City’s prosperity.”

In addition, the campaign will feature City Manager Lori Ann Farrell Harrison, who in July of 2019 became the first Latina to hold the top job in the City of Costa Mesa.

“It is my honor to be the City Manager of a city with such a strong Hispanic heritage,” Farrell Harrison said. “For many years, the Hispanic community has enriched the City of Costa Mesa through their resilience, spirit, vibrancy, leadership, investments, and entrepreneurship, advancing the many successes of our richly diverse City. This is a proud day for Costa Mesa.”

The virtual Hispanic Heritage Month celebration will take place in both English and Spanish languages and will be viewable on the city’s social media channels on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

National Hispanic Heritage Month takes place each year from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 to celebrate the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.

The observation started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period starting on September 15 and ending on October 15. It was enacted into law on Aug. 17, 1988.