What makes someone Hispanic? Is it the moment a person from a Latin American country migrates to the United States? What happens if that immigrant is of Brazilian origin? Or Mexican or Argentine? What if they are Mixtec, Maya, Quechua, or a member of one of the many other Indigenous peoples of Latin America? Are all of these people Hispanic?

National Hispanic Heritage Month is intended to be a celebration of “the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.” That’s the official definition of the annual observance since 1968 from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15.

But, as recent controversies indicate, this observance is subject to debate.

A label like “Hispanic” encompasses a score of different Latin American countries where hundreds of Indigenous languages are spoken, not to mention a broad spectrum of political views, backgrounds, and histories of migration to the U.S. The month’s name perhaps falls short of capturing such vibrancy.

Gabriel García Román, 49, a Mexican American artist born in Zacatecas, Mexico, and based in New York, grew up in Chicago in what he describes as a very Mexican household, “eating ‘tortillas con frijoles’” and speaking Spanish at home. But his family didn’t celebrate this national observance — in fact, they weren’t even aware of it. His first encounter with Hispanic Heritage Month was in grade school, when he learned about Latin American countries and their independence and heroes.

This year, García was a collaborator in Target’s Más Que collection, which, in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, includes more than 90 products by Latino creators and Latino-owned businesses.

The Más Que collection, which uplifted Latino creators, strikes a contrast with many other gestures that have fallen flat. Every year, corporations, government officials, media outlets and individuals struggle with how to honor this month. This year, for instance, the NFL came under scrutiny for a marketing campaign that consisted of turning the N in NFL into an “ñ.” There have also been plenty of gestures similar to that of a Florida county that announced the month on its social media with the image of a dancing taco holding maracas.

García is not surprised by this. “For the average American, Hispanic Heritage Month probably means they should go get tacos,” he said. Rather than tacos and maracas, or consumer goods, what does this month actually mean?

“It’s a way for folks to show pride for their native country, which is important for immigrants in the U.S. because we are told to assimilate, to erase our cultures,” he said.

Hispanic Heritage Month emerged from the efforts of Latino legislators. The very name “Hispanic Heritage” came from the struggle of Latino activists to create a pan-ethnic identity so that Latinos were counted and recognized in the U.S. Census.

But the word “Hispanic” has a Eurocentric undertone, as it comes from the Spanish word “Hispano,” referring to individuals whose cultural traditions originated in Spain. On the other hand, “Latino” refers to Latin America. Today, Latinos are the second-largest ethnic group in the U.S., comprising 19% of the population. This is a group with enormous diversity — including in how they choose to call themselves, with variations from Hispanic to Latino, Latinx, Latine, and others that are particular to a place of origin, like Chicano and Mexican American.

The complexity and diversity of this group has been gathered together, for better or worse, under the name “Hispanic,” and the month-long national observance of the associated array of people and cultures. Despite the drawbacks in this arrangement, García has keyed into what he believes is worth focusing on.

In addition to the history lessons taught in school, García sees the importance of this month as hinging on whatever Latino communities decide to do with it.