Former Washington intern shares story of how Hispanic Heritage Month came to be . Robert Lopez pushed the idea in 1988 while working for Congressional Hispanic Caucus . Lopez faced resistance from members but kept working for passage of the bill . His parents were raised in an area of California where you were punished for speaking Spanish , where Mexican immigrants were forced to be `` American '' and assimilate . Comment:
Former Washington intern shares story of how Hispanic Heritage Month came to be . Robert Lopez pushed the idea in 1988 while working for Congressional Hispanic Caucus . Lopez faced resistance from members but kept working for passage of the bill . Comment: