DEAL / Here Are Miami Restaurants Offering Deals for National Hispanic Heritage Month / Miami New Times

National Hispanic Heritage Month spans from September 15 through October 15, the official time to honor and celebrate the rich history and culture of Latin-American communities from Mexico to the Caribbean to Central and South America and Spain, as well as their contributions to the United States. 

The four-week period was instituted in 1988 by then-President Ronald Reagan, an extension of National Hispanic Heritage Week, which had been introduced two decades earlier. It starts mid-month to honor the independence of five Latin-American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, all of which recognize September 15 as the date of their independence. Mexico celebrates on September 16, Chile on September 18. Restaurants across South Florida are offering a bevy of food and drink specials to mark the celebratory month. Read on for the best spots to visit.