NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Hispanic Heritage Month actually began as a week under President Lyndon Johnson. 20 years later, President Ronald Reagan expanded it to be a month. But perhaps it's had the wrong name all along. Forget about whether it's a week or a month. Instead, let's consider the word Hispanic. "It's not the word that many people of Latin American descent prefer. That would be Latino or Latina or Latinx," Zorimar Rivera Montez told WGNO News. She's an Assistant Professor of English, Spanish and Portuguese at Tulane University. New Orleans City Council allocates $17M needed for SWBNO West Power Complex Zorimar says most of the people in the United States who might be included in Hispanic Heritage Month have little or no connection to Spain. Many speak languages other than Spanish. "Over 20 different countries that all have a shared history, but distinct histories as well," Zorimar said. "Over 60 million people, which is about 20% of the U.S. population." According to Zorimar, the word Hispanic wasn't widely used until about 50 years ago. A decade later, it appeared on the U.S. Census. "It started in the 1970s. It appeared in the census for the first time in 1980" she said. Federal aid available for Terrebonne Parish Hurricane Francine victims Still, Zorimar says Hispanic Heritage month is a good thing because it can begin a big conversation. "I do believe that it is a beautiful project because things happen once we get here. For that, I think Hispanic Heritage Month does the trick. It allows us to come together and celebrate in the United States the very diverse and rich heritage of this very large group of people." Stay up to date with the latest news, weather and sports by downloading the WGNO app on the Apple or Google Play stores and by subscribing to the WGNO newsletter. Latest Posts Does Hispanic Heritage Month have the right name? Federal aid available for Terrebonne Parish Hurricane Francine victims Former Lafayette ADA Gary Haynes indicted on bribery, money laundering conspiracy, more House GOP torpedoes Speaker Johnson’s funding bill Overcrowding at St. Tammany Parish Animal Shelter may lead to euthanization soon