Overview

Each year from September 15 to October 15, we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in the United States. During Hispanic Heritage Month, we honor the countless contributions that Hispanic Americans have made to our nation, and especially to New York City, over the years. We also take this time to recognize the trailblazing individuals who fought for progress and equity for their communities. 

This tradition began in 1968, when President Lyndon B. Johnson first issued a proclamation to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Week. Later, Congress passed a bill to extend the celebration to last an entire month, which was signed into law by President Ronald Reagan in 1988, and National Hispanic Heritage Month has been celebrated every year since 1989. The theme for 2024 is “Pioneers of Change: Shaping the Future Together,” which ”encapsulates the spirit of innovation, resilience, and unity that define the Hispanic experience.”

The dates for Hispanic Heritage Month were chosen to coincide with the Independence Day celebrations of many Latin American nations—namely, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua—that declared their independence from Spain on September 15, 1821. Chile, Mexico, and Belize also each have their own Independence Day celebrations on days throughout the month as well. In all, Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates communities with roots in 20 Latin American countries and territories who make up over 19% of the U.S. population.

We encourage teachers, students, and families to explore the resources shared below to further expand their understanding of this rich and vibrant history.

Events and Exhibitions

• Throughout the month:
  • Check out the New York Public Library’s Hispanic Heritage Month events, which includes activities for children of all ages such as bilingual story times, a teen book club, arts and crafts nights, and more.
  • NYC Parks is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month! Enjoy art exhibits, talks, black parties, and more.
  • Check out virtual exhibitions from the National Museum of the American Latino
  • El Museo del Barrio, located in Manhattan, is a museum created to present and preserve the art and culture of Puerto Ricans, Caribbean Americans, and all Latin Americans in the United States. Explore all they have to offer with events and exhibitions all year long.
• Sunday, September 15, 2024: Join in a day of fun for the whole family at the Carnaval Cultura Latina in Queens, which promotes the art, music, dance, and great food from Latino cultures.
• Monday, October 7–Friday, October 11, 2024: Educators can participate in the fifth annual “Teach Central America” week, an initiative that encourages teaching about Central American history and culture in the classroom.
• Saturday, October 12, 2024: Attend the Panamanian Parade in Brooklyn, and be a part of the largest celebration of Panamanian individuals and culture outside of the country itself The celebration begins at 12PM at President Street and Classon Avenue.

Many of these books are readily available via New York’s public libraries, as well as through the Citywide Digital Library available on Sora for our students, where you can also find the Latino and Hispanic Heritage Month, Spanish Language #OwnVoices, and Hidden Voices: Latino Americans collections for even more recommendations.

We also recommend the New York Public Library’s lists of English, Spanish, and bilingual titles to read this month, and all year round. In addition, check out  Colorín Colorado's Hispanic Heritage Month book lists and discover poetry written by dozens of Latinx writers from the Poetry Foundation.

Civics for All Comics

This Hispanic Heritage Month, check out Historias de Resistencia #1: Dolores Huerta and the Plight of the Farm Workers & Union Organizers, a graphic history that includes many people, facts, and details from the past. The stories in this series will highlight the dynamism of the Latino community in the United States, a larger community whose story must be told!

Video and Audio Resources

To Watch:

• Hear from notable individuals like award-winning chef José Andrés, actress and director America Ferrera, and more with 10 great TED Talks by Hispanic and Latinx speakers.
• Check out the PBS collection of eight unique documentaries about different Hispanic and Latin American stories from across the country; for even more to watch from PBS, check out their Hispanic Heritage Month page, which has videos about music and culture, history, and profiles of Hispanic American heroes.
• To learn more about important Latinas in U.S. history, watch videos on figures like Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, musician Celia Cruz, labor activist Emma Tennayuca, and suffragette Maria Guadalupe Evangelina de Lopez.
• For more on the intersection between Hispanic Heritage and women’s history, the National Museum of American History has a video series called “Latinas Talk Latinas,” featuring even more discussions about notable Latina women who have had an impact on our country and society.

To Listen:

• Latino USA (Futuro Media): the longest-running Latino news and cultural public radio program.
• Radio Ambulante (NPR): a Spanish language podcast that tells stories from all over Latin America.
• ¿Quién Are We? (NPR): a new podcast that explores Latino and Hispanic identities, and the things that make us who we are.
• Planeta G (Greenpeace): learn more about the intersection between Latinx identity and environmentalism.
• “Yes She Did!”—Portraits (Smithsonian): In this episode, hear an interview with labor activist Dolores Huerta and learn about her life and legacy.
• “The Goddess of Broadway”—Sidedoor (Smithsonian/PRX): In this episode, learn about Diosa Costello, the first ever Puerto Rican performer to be on Broadway.

Educator Resources

• The National Educator’s Association (NEA) has assembled resources by grade level to use for your Hispanic Heritage Month lessons and celebrations.
• Check out the New-York Historical Society’s Nueva York, a curriculum guide dedicated to Hispanic history in our region from 1613–1945.
• There are a number of useful resources from the Smithsonian and the National Museum of American History, including:
  • The Smithsonian Learning Lab, which features a collection of Hispanic Heritage Month learning resources
  • Lessons on the history of Latinos in baseball called ¡Pleibol! which is accompanied by an online exhibition that was previously featured in the National History Museum.
  • Learning modules from the Smithsonian’s History Explorer, including Latino Family Stories Through Art (grades 4–8), the Bracero History Archive (grades 6–12), A Nation of Immigrants: Latino Stories (grades 9–12), and much more.
  • Students can read the stories of immigrants from Mexico, Cuba, and other Latin American countries, and view objects related to the journey to America with America on the Move: Latino Stories, lessons from the Smithsonian Museum of American History. Students can also learn about the experiences of workers in the mid-twentieth century Bracero guest worker program.
• Teaching for Change, who host Teach Central America Week, have provided resources to use in the classroom during their initiative, and beyond.
• Explore digital teaching and learning resources from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino.
• Learn about the how the history of school segregation impacted Latino communities in the United States by exploring primary sources from the seminal Supreme Court case Mendez v. Westminster School District, often considered a precursor to Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, with the Learning for Justice toolkit called “Why Mendez Still Matters.”
  • Students can further engage with the Mendez case with a reenactment activity available on the United States Federal Courts’ website.
• Access a range of relevant K–12 lesson plans from the National Endowment for the Humanities on history, literature, culture, and more.
• Teachers and students of all grade levels are invited to explore the history, people and issues chronicled in the PBS series, Latino Americans, through a collection of classroom resources connected to the documentary.
• Students in grades 6–12 can learn more about identity, intersectionality, and Latino culture with the short film “Bibi” alongside the accompanying learning guides from Learning for Justice.
• Explore a wide range of teaching resources from Facing History & Ourselves about Latinx history, art, and culture.
• For more information about Hispanic and Latino music, the New York Times Learning Network has several lessons on reggaeton, Cuban music, and the musical legend Selena.
• Teach about the Young Lords Movement in New York City with materials from the Museum of the City of New York.
• El Museo del Barrio has several resource guides available for educators to use, in addition to video and audio resources available on their website.
• The National Park Service’s American Latino Heritage Theme Study, available in both Spanish and English, explores Latino history and culture with essays and other resources that reflect Latino American experiences across different eras, topics, and regions throughout the United States. For more NPS resources, check out their Hispanic Heritage Month page, along with Telling All Americans’ Stories: American Latino Heritage, also available on their website.
• Students can learn more about Hispanic Americans in Congress with resources from the U.S. House of Representatives Archives.
• Students can access National Archives records related to Hispanic and Latino Heritage online to research a wide range of topics with primary sources.

Hidden Voices

Hidden Voices began as a collaboration with the  Museum of the City of New York that was initiated to help City students learn about the countless individuals who are often "hidden" from traditional historical records. Each person highlighted in the series has made a positive impact on their communities while serving as outstanding examples of leadership, advocacy, and community service.

During Hispanic Heritage Month, check out our profiles on:

• Willie Velásquez, a grassroots activist and champion for Latino voting rights in the United States.
• Dr. Helen Rodríguez-Trías, a doctor and activist who played a pivotal role in the women’s health movement by advocating for the rights and freedoms of Latina women and other marginalized communities throughout her career.
• Dr. Antonia Pantoja, one of the country's most influential civil rights and education leaders of the 20th Century who dedicated her life to New York's Puerto Rican community.

You can find more of our profiles throughout the year on our Hidden Voices webpage.