Whether you are Hispanic, Latino/a or Latinx, you can find many opportunities to celebrate and honor your heritage. You can also learn more about the different cultures and traditions that make up this dynamic community, a group that has been deeply shaped by its history in the United States.
Hispanic Heritage Month was first celebrated in 1968, after activists in the Mexican American and Puerto Rican communities used federal legislation that required more labor, health, education and demographic research on Americans of Hispanic origin or descent to leverage political power at the national level. Groups such as The National Council of La Raza, which eventually became UnidosUS, were able to use the term Hispanic to advocate for issues affecting their respective communities, including immigration, education, and citizenship.
Today, Hispanic and Latino/a people can be found in all 50 states, including Alaska and Hawaii, as well as the District of Columbia. This diversity is evident across many industries, from business to sports to academia and beyond.
Many of the largest metropolitan areas in the United States have a large Hispanic/Latinx population. In the Chicago and Los Angeles areas, over three-quarters of residents identify as Hispanic or Latino, while in the Miami and Houston regions, about half do. In contrast, metro areas in the Northeast tend to have a more diverse Hispanic/Latinx population, with about 30% of residents identifying as Hispanic or Latino in both the New York and Boston metro areas.
The contributions of Hispanic/Latinos to our country are vast, as evidenced by the wide range of activities celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month this year. The Smithsonian Institution is hosting a series of exhibitions and events, and has released a set of teaching and learning resources. The National Portrait Gallery is teaming up with Lil’ Libros, a bilingual children’s book publisher, to host the Fotos & Recuerdos Festival, an event featuring story times and arts and crafts workshops.
In addition, PBS is conducting a collection of Hispanic Heritage Month documentaries and features that you can watch online. You can also check out this video from the Library of Congress on Hispanic Heritage, which shares stories about how Latinos have helped to shape our nation. Finally, the National Park Service has a variety of activities to help you learn about Hispanic/Latino culture and traditions. To begin, you can visit its Hispanic Heritage webpage.