From a quinceanera fashion show to a festival celebrating the life of Celia Cruz, Hispanic heritage is front and center across the country this month. Whether you’re a student or a parent, there are plenty of resources to help your kids celebrate and learn about this vibrant culture and its contributions to American history and society.
In the United States, Hispanic Heritage Month takes place from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15. It recognizes the achievements and contributions of Hispanic Americans, who are the fastest-growing racial or ethnic minority, according to Census estimates. That includes people whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico and the Caribbean countries of Central and South America.
Educators can also find materials to use in the classroom. The National Educator’s Association has resources for every grade level, and the New-York Historical Society is offering Nueva York, an online curriculum guide that explores the history of Latinos in our region from 1613 to 1945. And, for a fun family activity, try playing Loteria, which is essentially Mexico’s version of Bingo. Players match words called out (such as el arbol, the tree, or el camaron, the shrimp) to squares on their game board. When a player gets a full row, they shout
But what exactly does it mean to be Hispanic? And what is the best way to describe that identity to others? To answer these questions, we turned to experts who shared their thoughts on the topic.
While the Census definition of Hispanic refers to a person who is from, or descended from, a country in Latin America or the Spanish-speaking areas of the United States, many people prefer to use more specific identifiers to describe themselves and their heritage. These include Hispanic, Latino, and the gender-neutral terms Latine and Latinx, which are often used in conjunction with other identifiers such as Chicano, Tejano, Boricua, Afro-Latino, and more.
Using these different identifiers can be helpful in understanding that Latinos are not a homogenous group that can be described with one blanket term. Each Latino culture has a rich and unique history and set of traditions.
Using these different identifiers can also be important in teaching our children that it’s OK to be proud of more than one part of their identity. That’s something we all need to remember, especially in a world that can be so divisive.