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Mes de la Herencia Hispana - 15 de Septiembre – 15 de Octubre

All Americans, regardless of national origin, celebrate the vibrant Hispanic American spirit that influences our Nation's art, music, food, and faiths.  We also celebrate the practices of commitment to family, love of country, and respect for others, virtues that transcend ethnicity, reflect the American spirit, and are nobly exemplified in the Hispanic American community.

National Hispanic Heritage Month provides us an opportunity to express deep appreciation to Hispanic Americans for their countless contributions to our society and to pay tribute again to America's distinctive diversity.

Hispanic Heritage Month begins on September 15 because this day marks the anniversary of independence for five Hispanic countries—Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico achieved independence on September 16, and Chile on September 18.

During this month, America celebrates the hispanic cultures, achievements, and heritage by commemorating the following historical events:

September 15   - Independence Day for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua 
               September 16   - Independence Day for Mexico 
               October 12     - El Dia de la Raza

LINKS TO HISPANIC HERITAGE

  • 1Hispanic American Medal of Honor Recipients USA Medal of Honor Recipients, Americans of Hispanic Heritage
  • Action on Hispanic American Education A September 1996 statement from the Presidential Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics addresses issues of equity in education for Hispanic Americans.
  • American Experience: Zoot Suit Riots http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/zoot
    In wartime Los Angeles, the murder of a young Mexican-American man ignited a firestorm. The "zoot-suited" suspects were rebellious kids who refused to play by the old rules. Get the whole story on the Web site, available in English and in Spanish.
  • American Masters: Diego Rivera http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/database/rivera_d.html
    Considered the greatest Mexican painter of the twentieth century, Diego Rivera had a profound effect on the international art world. Find out more about the life of this celebrated Mexican artist.
  • Ancestors http://www.pbs.org/ancestors/
    Looking to discover your roots? This web site companion to the PBS series includes explanations of genealogy records, as well as numerous links to web resources.
  • Association of Hispanic Arts http://www.latinoarts.org/
    Founded in 1975, AHA is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of Latino arts and artists in the United States. Its mission is to foster an appreciation of Latino arts and culture as an integral part of America's diverse cultural landscape. AHA is based in New York City, and reaches out to both a regional and global audience.  
  • Census Facts For Hispanic Heritage Month A ton of data from the U.S. Census Bureau, with links to Bureau documents.
  • Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Organization whose programs are designed to increase the participation of your Hispanics in the public and private sector.
  • Conquistadors http://www.pbs.org/conquistadors/
    Michael Wood leads an exploration of the history of the Spanish conquistadors, who arrived in the New World 500 years ago. Features include pieces on Cortes, Pizarro, Orellana, Cabeza de Vaca, and many others.  
  • Contemporary Southwestern Hispanic Art An exhibit presented by the Museum of International Folk Art at the Museum of New Mexico includes an online exhibit of "paño" (Spanish for handkerchief) art, ink drawings on handkerchiefs and torn bed sheets that were typically drawn by Hispanic prisoners in U.S. prisons and mailed to their loved ones.
  • Crucible of Empire: Spanish-American War http://www.pbs.org/crucible/
    Learn more about the Spanish-American War and the film, “Crucible of Empire,” on this site, which offers a timeline of the major events before, during, and after the war; original 1890s sheet music popular during the War; photographs of the major figures involved; newspaper articles and headlines from 1890s newspapers; and more.
  • Food for the Ancestors http://www.pbs.org/foodancestors/
    “Food for the Ancestors” is a culinary-history exploration of Days of the Dead, Mexican traditions and ancient ways of life that still exist there. All of these seen through Mexican cuisine. The program is set in the state of Puebla because it is also a place where the contrasts between new and old are vividly seen.
  • Foto-Novelas http://www.pbs.org/itvs/fotonovelas/intro.html
    In October 1997, ITVS, the Independent Television Service (ITVS), presented Carlos Avila’s “Foto-Novelas,” a four-part series of original dramas inspired by the fantastic elements of the Mexican and Latin American pulp novel tradition, where everyday reality is woven with other world surrealism. This innovative and entertaining series of four half-hour dramas was produced, directed, written and performed by established and emerging talents from across the spectrum of the Chicano and Latino artistic community.
  • Generations United http://www.gu.org
    Generations United (GU) is the only national membership organization focused solely on promoting intergenerational strategies, programs, and public policies. GU represents more than 100 national, state, and local organizations representing more than 70 million Americans and is the only national organization advocating for the mutual well-being of children, youth, and older adults.
  • Hispanic Pages in the USA The site includes a long list of famous Hispanics in history along with features on bullfighting and on Bernardo de Galvez, the hero of the American Revolution whose victories over the British helped George Washington win the war in the thirteen colonies.
  • Hispanic women's contributions honored during Hispanic Heritage Month Hispanic women's contributions honored during Hispanic Heritage Month
  • Hispanic-American Studies AmeriSpan: The Bridge Between Cultures Chicano-Latino Net Chicano studies Cuban-American
  • Integrating Mexican-American 
  • History and Culture into the Social Studies Classroom An ERIC Digest looks at selecting texts and preparing teachers for integrating the Mexican-American experience into the social studies curriculum.
  • JSC Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month Search through a wide variety of "astronaut's-view" images of Hispanic countries.
  • JudyBaca.com http://www.judybaca.com/
    Muralist Judith F. Baca makes her web home here at JudyBaca.com. The web site includes Ms. Baca's biography and mission statement, numerous examples of her artwork, links to other web sites, works of art for sale, and even an audio introduction from the artist herself.
  • LaBoda http://www.pbs.org/pov/laboda/index.html
    Elizabeth is marrying Artemio in Nuevo Leon, Mexico, and you are cordially invited to the wedding. Meet these two young people from the U.S.–Mexican border region, whose lives are framed by the challenges of migrant life. In this absorbing film, the wedding becomes a touching evocation of migrant life, girlhood and the enduring strength of family tradition.
  • Latino Public Broadcasting (LPB) http://www.lpbp.org/pages/home.html/
    LPB provides a voice for America's diverse Latino community. Nurturing and supporting Latino artists who portray the Latino experience in film, video, radio and other electronic media, LPB provides funding and a distribution mechanism to help present Latino programs on public television.
  • LatinoLink Look for a new section to be posted in time for the start of Hispanic Heritage Month to include a trivia contest and a revised edition of last year's very popular "Fifty Things to Do for Hispanic Heritage Month" by Ricardo Parra.
  • Latinos: A Fiesta of Stories Ten great children's books that portray the history, customs, and family traditions of Latinos.
  • Senior Year http://www.pbs.org/senioryear/
    During the 1999/2000 school year, six young filmmakers followed 15 teens through their last year at Fairfax High, a school at the epicenter of the explosion of diversity reshaping L.A. and the country. The result, "Senior Year," is an entertaining, provocative, and inspiring portrait of a generation on the verge of creating a new world.
  • The Border http://www.pbs.org/kpbs/theborder/
    While the U.S–Mexico border is a region all its own, the stories of border life in San Diego and Tijuana differ from the stories of the numerous border towns explored in this series. Explore contemporary life in these unique communities.
  •   The City (La Cuidad) http://www.pbs.org/thecity/
    “La Ciudad” tells stories of loss, love, frustration, and hope as four recently arrived Latin Americans struggle to build their lives, their communities and their dreams in their new home, the city.
  • The Fight In The Fields http://www.pbs.org/itvs/fightfields/
    The heart of the UFW, Cesar Chávez remains the most important Latino leader in this country's history. The activities he and his dedicated organizers led inspired the Chicano activism of the 1960s and ’70s, helping create a Latino civil rights movement. Meet Chavez and learn about the United Farm Workers struggle that caught international attention.
  • The Forgotten Americans http://www.pbs.org/klru/forgottenamericans/
    Let filmmaker Hector Galán take you on an eye-opening journey to south Texas colonias. Colonias are American communities where hope resides despite the fact that the streets have no names, and often there is no running water or electricity.
  • The New Americans
    http://www.pbs.org/newamericans/
    Through the intimate stories of a diverse group of immigrants and refugees, “The New Americans” captures the lives of contemporary immigrants in all their complexities. “The New Americans” puts a human face on the breadth and scope of immigrants’ and refugees’ experience in America – not just the sensational stories that make headlines.
  • U.S.–Mexican War
    http://www.pbs.org/kera/usmexicanwar/
    “The U.S.–Mexican War” web site is a study in the way humans access, process, agree and disagree in the search for truth as it chronicles the war through multiple perspectives from both sides of the conflict. Within the site, you will find a series of conversations with and essays by historians and other experts, a timeline that illustrates war-related events and a discussion arena where we you can share your own viewpoints on the U.S.–Mexican War.
  • United States of American History An overview of the history of Americans of Hispanic Heritage and their contributions to the United States of America.
  • What Does Hispanic Heritage Month Mean to You? A handful of individuals respond to the question with their very personal and poignant observations.
LINKS TO HISPANIC ORGANIZATIONS
  • League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) http://www.lulac.org/
    With approximately 115,000 members throughout the United States and Puerto Rico, LULAC is the largest and oldest Hispanic Organization in the United States. LULAC advances the economic condition, educational attainment, political influence, health and civil rights of Hispanic Americans through community-based programs operating at more than 600 LULAC councils nationwide. The organization involves and serves all Hispanic nationality groups.  
  • MANA http://www.hermana.org
    MANA was founded in 1974 as the Mexican-American Women’s National Association. MANA’s original intent was to provide a voice for Mexican-American women at the national, state and local levels. Since then, the organization has expanded into a diverse group of Latinas in all areas of political, social and professional fields. MANA is unique since this makes MANA the single largest pan-Latina organization in the United States.
  • National Council of La Raza (NCLR) http://www.nclr.org
    The National Council of La Raza (NCLR) is a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan, tax-exempt organization established in 1968 to reduce poverty and discrimination, and improve life opportunities for Hispanic Americans.
  • National Hispanic Council on Aging http://www.nhcoa.org/
    The National Hispanic Council on Aging (NHCoA) was founded in 1980 in Washington, D.C., as a national membership-based organization. It is dedicated to improving the quality of life for Latino elderly, families, and communities through advocacy, capacity and institution building, development of educational materials, technical assistance, demonstration projects, policy analysis and research.
  •   Self Help Graphics http://www.selfhelpgraphics.com
    Self Help Graphics & Art, Inc. is a community based visual arts center located in the heart of East Los Angeles. SHG was started by a small group of local artists working out of a local garage in the early 1970s, for the purpose of creating art that reflected the rich cultural values and spirit of the local Chicano community. Over the past 26 years, Self-Help Graphics has emerged as the leading visual arts institution serving the predominantly Chicano/Mexicano community of Los Angeles.
  • Society of Hispanic Historical and Ancestral Research Non-profit, Non-political, Non-sectarian All volunteer service organization to... Society of Hispanic Historical and Ancestral.
  • The National Association of Latino Arts and Culture
    http://www.nalac.org/
    The National Association of Latino Arts and Culture (NALAC) is a tax-exempt, non-profit, arts service organization that provides technical assistance and capacity building services to community-based Latino arts and cultural organizations, and advocates and promotes Latino arts and culture in the United States.
  • The National Latino Children's Institute
    http://www.nlci.org/
    The National Latino Children’s Institute (NLCI) is the only national Latino organization that focuses exclusively on children. Incorporated in 1997 in Texas, NLCI has its headquarters in San Antonio and is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, tax-exempt organization. NLCI’s mission is to serve as the voice for young Latinos.
  • The Social and Public Arts Resource Center (SPARC)
    http://www.sparcmurals.org/
    Founded in 1976 by muralist Judith F. Baca, painter Christina Schlesinger, and filmmaker Donna Deitch, the Social and Public Art Resource Center (SPARC) is a multi-ethnic arts center that produces, distributes, preserves and documents community based public art works. SPARC espouses public art as an organizing tool for addressing social issues, fostering cross-cultural understanding and promoting civic dialogue. Working within this philosophical framework for the last 25 years, SPARC has created murals in almost every ethnic community in Los Angeles.
  • The Society of Hispanic Historical and Ancestral Research (SHHAR) SHHAR (pronounced "share") is a non-profit volunteer organization with the specific goal of helping Hispanics research their family history. Includes much research support and links to many other sites for additional help in genealogical research.
  • United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Organization "To advocate, promote and facilitate the success of Hispanic business"

 

 

LINKS TO ARTICLES