Henri Charles Rexach and Artemio P. Rodriguez are believed to be Dickinson Law’s first Hispanic students. Henri Charles Rexach, from San Juan, Puerto Rico, was enrolled at the Law School as part of the Class of 1906. Artemio P. Rodriguez, from Catano, Puerto Rico, graduated in 1908.
In 1968, Congress passed a Joint Resolution, P.L. 90-498, authorizing and requesting that the President of the United States issue a Proclamation annually designating the week containing September 15th and 16th as National Hispanic Heritage Week. President Lyndon B. Johnson issued the first Proclamation.
In 1988, P.L. 90-498 was amended by P.L. 100-402 (and later became codified at 36 U.S.C. § 126) to extend National Hispanic Heritage Week to a monthlong celebration beginning on September 15th and ending on October 15th annually. September 15th marks the anniversary of independence for the Latin American countries of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Mexico celebrates its independence on September 16th, and Chile celebrates its independence on September 18th. Columbus Day also falls within the period designated for the celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month.
President Donald Trump’s Proclamation for the celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month in 2018 may be found here. Prior Proclamations may be found by searching Presidential Documents, the Code of Federal Regulations, or the Federal Register, which are available through the Government Printing Office (GPO).
Additional information and resources for National Hispanic Heritage Month may be found at: https://www.hispanicheritagemonth.org/ and https://hispanicheritagemonth.gov.