What happened: Governor Gavin Newsom issued a proclamation declaring September 15, 2026, to October 15, 2026, as “Latino Heritage Month” in California; the governor’s office published the full text in English and Spanish and dated it September 14, 2026.

What the proclamation says: The document states that Latino communities have shaped California since before statehood and highlights Latino-owned businesses, innovators, civil-rights leaders, artists, farmworkers, professionals, public servants, and parents as essential to the state’s life and identity.

The proclamation calls for honoring that history while confronting xenophobia, harmful stereotypes, and rhetoric that casts community members as outsiders; it includes the statement, “Hate does not define California, nor will it determine who belongs here,” attributed to the proclamation text.

Policy language and priorities: The proclamation says California will continue to welcome people and will invest in education, childcare, and before- and after-school programs so families and people have opportunities to pursue their dreams; those investments are described in the proclamation but no specific funding amounts or new legal requirements are specified in the text.

Publication and attestation: The proclamation appears on the governor’s website in both English and Spanish and is signed by Gavin Newsom and attested by Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber, Ph.D.

What is not yet known: The proclamation is ceremonial and declaratory in form; it does not establish new statutes or appropriate funding in itself, and it does not list specific statewide events, implementation steps, or a budget; whether executive branch agencies will follow with programs or funding is not specified in the published text.

Sources & methodology

This report was written from the primary materials below. Links open at the original publisher.

Office of the Governor of California

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