what president first proclaimed national hispanic heritage month

The first president to proclaim National Hispanic Heritage Month was President George H. W. Bush. He made this proclamation on September 14, 1989, officially designating the period from September 15 to October 15 as National Hispanic Heritage Month. This proclamation marked the expansion of the observance from a week to a full month to recognize the contributions and influence of Hispanic culture in the United States. Before this, National Hispanic Heritage Week was originally established by legislation signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968 and was observed as a week until the expansion in 1988, which was signed into law by President Ronald Reagan.