Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to celebrate the rich culture, vibrant colors and traditions of Spanish-speaking countries across the world. It also provides an opportunity to reflect on how these communities have shaped our nation and the many contributions Hispanic and Latinx Americans have made to the United States.
Hispanic heritage is as diverse as the people who hold it. Using just one descriptor to define a group of cultures and people from such a large geographical area as Latin America is challenging. That is why people often use a variety of terms to identify themselves, from Chicano and Tejano to Nuyorican and Afro-Latino. The Library of Congress’s Hispanic Heritage collection features a broad range of resources that can help you explore and understand the many ways in which people describe themselves as part of the Hispanic community.
The Library’s Hispanic Heritage collection features countless resources in English, Spanish and several native languages. It includes everything from Latin American incunabula to contemporary literature, history, comic books, zines and scholarly studies by thousands of Hispanic and Latinx authors worldwide.
As Hispanic Heritage Month gets underway, take some time to reflect on your own heritage and identity and how it has changed or stayed the same over the years. Then, celebrate the diversity of Hispanic and Latinx culture with some of these fun activities for the whole family.
Hispanic Heritage Month was first celebrated as a weeklong celebration in 1968, after President Lyndon B. Johnson signed a law recognizing the need to honor the contributions of Hispanics in our country. In 1988, the celebration was expanded to a month by President Ronald Reagan.
This year, the National Park Service is elevating Hispanic Heritage Month with a slate of activities featuring art exhibitions, story times and arts and crafts workshops. The Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery is also partnering with Lil’ Libros, a bilingual children’s book publisher, for the second Fotos & Recuerdos Festival. The event will include arts and crafts workshops, gallery tours and a special reading of the new Forever stamps featuring pinatas. These colorful party favorites are typically associated with blindfolded guests trying to crack open a hard shell filled with candy, but they’ve been around for centuries.
This year, the focus of Hispanic Heritage Month is on celebrating migrant and immigrant communities. Four-in-five people of Hispanic origin are now U.S. citizens, thanks to the hard work of their families and the efforts of government agencies like the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. These groups are vital to our economy and our society, and the celebration of their heritage is a chance to highlight their achievements. We are all enriched by their presence.