Hispanic Heritage Month

Hispanic Heritage month is upon us! Although many like to take this opportunity to celebrate with food and drinks, we know that the Hispanic culture and its people offer a lot more. Every year for one month, we take time to celebrate Hispanic Heritage by sharing the history and impact of the culture and its people on the world. Check out this great website.

Hispanic Heritage Month is especially significant for Texans, and not just because it was proclaimed by our own Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968. Texas’ pivotal nineteenth-century history is intimately connected to the story of one of the heroes honored this month: Father Miguel Hidalgo, the firebrand of Mexican independence. This year, El Grito Weekend commemorates 204 years of the consummation of the Independence of Mexico in 1821, a little over 500 years of the Spanish conquest of Mexico, and 700 years of the establishment of the great city of Tenochtitlan. Find more resources on the Library of Congress website or learn more about this rich history in this Article from the Texas General Land Office Save Texas History Program.

Each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15 by celebrating the histories, cultures, and contributions of Americans who trace their heritage to Latin America or Spain. The observation started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period. The following websites provide instructional materials, activities, and lessons that can be used to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and to support instruction in Ethnic Studies: Mexican American Studies.

National Museum of the American Latino
Congress enacted legislation in 2020 to establish an American Latino Museum in Washington, DC. The new museum will be the cornerstone for visitors to learn how Latinos have contributed and continue to contribute to U.S. art, history, culture, and science. The museum’s website includes a dedicated page for Hispanic Heritage Month Resources, along with videos, online exhibits, and bilingual resources about the contributions of Hispanic-Americans in science, arts, literature, and the military.

Texas State Historical Association Handbook of Texas
The Texas State Historical Association’s online handbook includes much valuable content for Hispanic Heritage Month, especially articles about the history and heritage of Mexican Americans. Many of these articles were authored by Dr. Arnoldo De Leon, a pioneer in Mexican-American studies who taught at Angelo State University for 42 years and wrote many books contributing to the field of Mexican-American studies.

Texas Historical Commission Hispanic Heritage
The Texas Historical Commission Hispanic Heritage website provides resources and videos highlighting Hispanic heritage and influences at different periods of Texas history. This site also provides access to the Texas Time Travel website and the travel guide Hispanic Texans: Journey from Empire to Democracy. The THC Blog is also great and provides articles.

U.S. Department of Education: Hispanic Heritage Month
This United States Department of Education website is dedicated to Hispanic Heritage Month and its history. The site includes resources from a variety of government entities with dedicated resources to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, such as National Park Services, NASA, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Library of Congress: National Hispanic Heritage Month
This website, hosted by The Library of Congress, combines multiple resources dedicated to National Hispanic Heritage Month. This site provides access to multiple websites that include historical documents, videos, online exhibits, and bilingual blogs about the contributions of Hispanic Americans in science, arts, literature, and the military.

National Park Service: National Hispanic Heritage Month
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the nation's historic places worthy of preservation. Its web page for Hispanic Heritage Month highlights just some of the properties that exemplify the contributions of Hispanic culture and achievement.

PBS Hispanic Heritage Month
The Public Broadcasting Service has collected a variety of media resources highlighting Hispanic Americans. The website includes on-demand videos, profiles, and music resources focused on the contributions of Hispanic Americans.

Hispanic and Latino Heritage and History in the United States
This website, provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), offers a teacher's guide that brings together resources created during NEH Summer Seminars and Institutes, lesson plans for K-12 classrooms, and think pieces on events and experiences across Hispanic history and heritage.

Celebrate National Hispanic Heritage month with the following lessons, activities, videos, and more from the NEA...National Education Association.

The Latino Heritage Internship Program (LHIP) is a partnership with the National Park Service and Environment for the Americas designed to provide internship opportunities for young adults, with an emphasis on Latinos, in a variety of career fields. The program helps raise awareness of public lands, including national parks, and engage the next generation of stewards.

Archeology This Month celebrates the diverse heritage of the United States and its connections around the world. For Hispanic Heritage Month, join us in exploring the rich archeological heritage of peoples of Spanish, Hispanic, and Latino origin.

Archeological sites reveal chapters of this heritage, from early exploration and commerce on the high seas, to the building of mission churches and disruption of Native peoples, to everyday life in families and communities.

The Youth Awards was founded in 1998 by the Hispanic Heritage Foundation. Now entering its 23rd year, the Youth Awards honors Latino high school seniors who excel in the classroom and community and for their excellence in various categories including: Business & Finances, Community Service, Entrepreneurship, Education, Healthcare & Science, Media & Entertainment, Public Service, Social Justice, and Technology.

Gold, Silver and Bronze recipients are selected in each category and receive a one-time grant to fund their college education or to fund a community service effort that tackles a social issue.

The Chili Queens filled the plaza air with the smell of delicious and injected their Mexican culture into the daily lives of many. This Texas Monthly article on The Chili Queens .... NPR also reports on the Chili Queens and their impact. For a full history of the Chili Queens in San Antonio, read this research from St. Mary's University.

What were the experiences of Mexican Americans in the 19th and 20th centuries? What challenges did they face? What communities, institutions, and culture did they create? What records and documents were left of their lives, and what were some reasons for the gaps in the record? There is no single Mexican American story, but rather multiple ones that primary sources can help illuminate. (Library of Congress)

Image credit: Image Credit: (Library of Congress)

National Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates and recognizes Hispanic American contributions to US society and culture. Designated in 1968 when Congress passed Pub. L. 90-498 authorizing and requesting the President to issue an annual proclamation of National Hispanic Heritage during mid- September. September 15th marks the anniversary of independence for the Latin American countries of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Mexico celebrates its independence on September 16th.

President Lyndon Johnson issued the first such proclamation External in 1968. Between 1969 and 1988, Presidents Nixon, Ford, Carter and Reagan issued a series of annual proclamations designating a week in September as National Hispanic Heritage Week. In 1988, Congress passed Pub. L. 100-402 [PDF] which amended Pub. L. 90-498 and established National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15th to October 15th. Between 1990 and 2009, Presidents George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama issued annual proclamations for National Hispanic Heritage Month. The Library of Congress has a website with historic documents and more dedicated to this celebration.

Located at the Hemisfair Park in Downtown San Antonio, the Mexican Cultural Institute offers a wide array of artistic, academic and cultural activities.

Since its creation in 1968, the Mexican Cultural Institute has organized numerous events and exhibits to broadcast and promote the cultural and esthetic richness of Mexican arts and traditions.

With exhibitions, seminars, and performances, the Institute has become an iconic cultural reference in San Antonio and the region.

Historic Market Square Once a thriving hot spot for local produce, the Farmer’s Market and El Mercado Buildings now house unique locally owned shops offering a wide variety of products celebrating the cultural, artistic and ethnic influences of the Southwest and Mexico, from clothing to wood carvings to tasty local treats and candies. Visitors can also browse the unique wares of the market’s working artists. Artisans set up along the outdoor plazas demonstrating their crafts, which are available for purchase. Watch them create pottery, paintings, leather goods, candles, jewelry or portraits made for you on site.

2020 Census San Antonio