Welcome to the Governor’s Commission on Hispanic Affairs

2009 Hispanic Heritage Month

Each year, from September 15 to October 15, the United States celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month to recognize the economic, cultural, and social contributions of the more than 45.5 million Latinos residing in the U.S. The dates of Hispanic Heritage Month were selected to include the Independence Day celebrations of Belize, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico, and Panama, as well as to incorporate Día de la Raza—October 12 (Columbus Day), a Mexican day of observance of our multicultural and indigenous heritage prior to the Spanish arrival to Latin America.

Throughout this month, America celebrates the culture and traditions of Spanish speaking residents who trace their roots to Spain, Mexico, Central America, South America and the Caribbean.

Please take a look at our 2009 Heritage Month Calendar -- as it includes some of the statewide Heritage celebrations happening around our State and Metro area. You can see the complete calendar by clicking the image below.

2009 Governor's Hispanic Heritage Awards

Each year, Governor Martin O’Malley and the Commission on Hispanic Affairs recognize qualified, outstanding individuals and an organization in Maryland that significantly contribute to the welfare and progress of our community.

The Commission on Hispanic Affairs requests your assistance in identifying qualified candidates for recognition at its Hispanic Heritage Awards Luncheon that will be held September 29, 2009, at the BWI Marriott in Linthicum, in partnership with the Maryland Hispanic Business Conference.

Click here for a nomination form

Census 2010

There is an important civic and constitutionally mandated event that will shape our future over the course of the next decade and we need your help. The 2010 Census is coming and we must ensure that every Marylander in every neighborhood, community, village, town, city and county in Maryland is counted on Census Day, April 1, 2010.

To achieve this goal, Governor O'Malley has approved an active outreach plan to be implemented under the leadership of the Maryland Department of Planning, our official State partner to the U.S. Census Bureau, along with the Office of the Secretary of State and the Governor's Office of Community Initiatives.

By answering the census, services and programs like job training, education, health care and transit improvements, will be there for our families and our communities for years to come. The importance of the Census cannot be overstated. An undercount of as little as a 1.7% or 100,000 of our state's 5.8 million residents translates to a loss of $1 billion dollars in federal revenue over the decade and considerably more in state funds distribution.

To make sure everyone is counted, we are working closely with the U.S. Census Bureau, State agencies, local governments, and non-governmental organizations including community and ethnic groups in order to form the partnerships that can reach out to the people of Maryland.

The success of the Census, it's in our hands Maryland!

For more information on the Census 2010 click on the above logo.

Click here for the Census Outreach Mapping Tool

Governor's Commission on Hispanic Affairs Annual Report

Lt. Governor Brown Lt. Governor Anthony Brown displays the Hispanic Commission's Annual Report on September 17 in Bladensburg, MD during "Capital for a Day." The Hispanic Commission was honored to be able to reach out to the community of Bladensburg during "Capital for a Day" and hold an event in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month.