National Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to honor the vibrant cultures and histories of Hispanic and Latinx Americans, and to celebrate the enduring contributions that they and their ancestors have made to the United States. Hispanic Heritage Month starts on September 15^th and ends on October 15^th. The reason for the mid-month start date is significant: September 15^th is Independence Day for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, while Mexico's is September 16^th, and Chile's is September 18^th. Each year, Groupon and its employees celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. This year, we are expanding our efforts through amplifying and supporting the Hispanic- and Latinx-owned businesses that strengthen communities everywhere.

• The U.S. Hispanic population accounts for 18.1% of the total U.S. population, and is the nation's second-fastest-growing ethnic group after Asians.^*
• As of June 2019, there were 4.65 million Hispanic-owned companies in the US– representing 14% of total U.S. businesses. Hispanic businesses grew 40.2% from 2012 to 2018, more than twice the growth rate of other U.S. firms.^†
• Hispanic entrepreneurs tend to be younger than the average business owner: 70% of Hispanic small business owners are under the age of 45, compared to less than 40% of other small business owners.^‡

Groupon’s Commitment to Hispanic- and Latinx-Owned Businesses

This year for National Hispanic Heritage Month, we’re highlighting merchants who self-identified as Hispanic^§ or Latinx^|. Groupon is dedicated to supporting our Hispanic and Latinx business partners not only during National Hispanic Heritage Month but also beyond.

Listening & Learning

We’re continuing our outreach to Hispanic- and Latinx-owned business partners nationwide to learn more about the services and support needed that Groupon may provide through connections to our partners.

Supporting Our Merchants

We’re partnering with Hispanic- and Latinx-business organizations and governmental agencies at the federal and state levels to gather a list of available resources and co-sponsor virtual-panel discussions for merchants. Finally, we’ve created a free Merchant Marketing toolkit to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month loudly and proudly!

Amplifying Hispanic and Latinx Stories

We’re making an ongoing effort to seek out and highlight Hispanic- and Latinx-owned businesses through our social media and other initiatives.

Engaging Our Employees

We’re hosting employee celebrations throughout the month to promote cultural awareness and recognize Hispanic and Latinx heritage and contributions. We're also proud to partner with Prospanica, HACE, and ALPFA in ongoing talent-acquisition efforts and professional-development opportunities for our employees.

To learn more about the actions Groupon is taking to bring about positive change, click here.

^* According to NBC

^† According to Globe Newswire

^‡ According to Globe Newswire

^§ A Hispanic person is someone who comes from, or is a descendant of, a Spanish-speaking country. These include Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Spain, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

^|Latinx is a gender-neutral term that encompasses Latino and Latina. A Latinx person is someone who comes from, or is a descendant of, Latin America. These regions include Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Martin, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

Illustrations by Marcelo Butzke