Each year, we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in Los Angeles and throughout the United States from September 15 through October 15th. Along with partaking in the numerous and varied festivals and activities planned for Hispanic Heritage Month, the Los Angeles estate planning attorneys at Schomer Estate & Wealth Advisors encourage you to create or update your estate plan.
What Is Hispanic Heritage Month?
Hispanic Heritage Month began 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. It was enacted into law on August 17, 1988. Each year, a theme is chosen for the month-long celebration. For 2022 the theme for Hispanic Heritage Month is “Unidos: Inclusivity for a Stronger Nation.”
During Hispanic Heritage Month, Americans celebrate the achievements, histories, traditions, and cultural diversity of Hispanic/Latino/Latinx Americans whose heritage is rooted in 20 Latin American countries and territories: Spain, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic.
Hispanics In Los Angeles by the Numbers
Throughout the United States, approximately 4.4 million Latinx-owned businesses contribute more than $700 billion to the economy annually – and a significant percentage of those businesses are located in or around Los Angeles. Some additional numbers related to Hispanics in Los Angeles County include:
- 4.8 million — the Hispanic/Latino population in Los Angeles County in the 2020 Census, accounting for the county’s largest ethnic/racial group and making up 48 percent of the population. Los Angeles County had the largest Hispanic/Latino population of any county in the United States.
- 2.5 percent – how much the Hispanic/Latino population in Los Angeles County increased between 2010 and 2020, according to the U.S. Census.
- 5.3 million – the projected Hispanic/Latino population for Los Angeles County, in 2060, according to the California Demographic Research Unit, which would make the Hispanic/Latino population 54 percent of the county’s population.
- 76 percent – the percent of the Hispanic/Latino population in Los Angeles County of Mexican heritage, according to 2019 Census estimates. Another 8.7 percent were of Salvadoran heritage, 5.5 percent Guatemalan, and 2.7 percent South American, with Honduran and Puerto Rican each making up 1.0 percent. The remainder were of Cuban, Dominican, other Central American, or other Hispanic/Latino origins.
- 31 percent – the percentage of California’s Hispanic/Latino population that resided in Los Angeles County in the 2020 Census.
- 47 – the number of cities, among Los Angeles County’s 88 incorporated cities, in which Hispanics/Latinos were the largest ethnic/racial group, according to the 2020 Census.
How to Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month
There is certainly no shortage of events and activities during Hispanic Heritage Month in Los Angeles. If you are looking for ideas, navigate to the City of Los Angeles’s website for a helpful guide. Another way to celebrate is by taking steps to protect and preserve your Hispanic heritage during Hispanic Heritage Month. Hispanics tend to overlook the need for estate planning. According to a recent Caring.com survey, Hispanics are least likely to create an estate plan among the largest racial groups. Specifically, only 26 percent of Hispanic Americans have a Last Will and Testament, whereas 31 percent of blacks and 45 percent of whites reported having a Will.
Creating a comprehensive estate plan is the best way to avoid disputes (both while you are alive and after you are gone), ensure that your wishes are honored regarding healthcare decisions and the distribution of your assets, and protect your assets, your loved ones, and yourself. This year, do something lasting for yourself and your family. Make an appointment with an experienced estate planning attorney to discuss getting started on your estate plan.
Contact Los Angeles Estate Planning Attorneys
For more information, please join us for an upcoming FREE seminar. If you have additional questions or concerns about creating or updating your estate plan, contact the experienced Los Angeles estate planning attorneys at Schomer Estate & Wealth Advisors by calling (310) 337-7696 to schedule an appointment.
- How a No Contest Clause Can Help Your California Estate Avoid Probate Litigation - August 17, 2026
- Reasons to Incorporate a Living Trust into My California Estate Plan - August 16, 2026
- What You Need to Know about Funding a Trust in California - August 15, 2026
