Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

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Thursday is the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month, another example of how libraries promote diversity in their communities.

Each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, by celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.

The observation started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988. It was enacted into law on Aug. 17, 1988, on the approval of Public Law 100-402.

The significance of Sept. 15 lay in the fact that it is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on Sept. 16 and Sept. 18, respectively. Also, Columbus Day or Día de la Raza, which is Oct. 12, falls within this 30 day period.

This year's theme is "Many Backgrounds, Many Stories…One American Spirit.”

As part of the celebration, The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum are joining in paying tribute to the generations of Hispanic Americans who have positively influenced and enriched our nation and society.

The following collections are available online:

Art & Architecture

• The Art of Power: Royal Armor and Portraits from Imperial Spain
  (National Gallery of Art)
• Courtly Art of the Ancient Maya
  (National Gallery of Art)  
• The Cubist Paintings of Diego Rivera: Memory, Politics, Place
  (National Gallery of Art)
• David Alfaro Siqueiros: Self-Portraits in Art and Writing
  (National Gallery of Art)  
• El Greco Online Tour
  (Spanish, 1541-1614) (National Gallery of Art)  
• Folk Arts of the Spanish Southwest from the Index of American Design (National Gallery of Art)  
• Francisco de Goya Online Tour (Spanish, 1746-1828)
  (National Gallery of Art)  
• Luis Meléndez: Master of the Spanish Still Life
  (National Gallery of Art)  
• Luis Meléndez: Online Feature
  (National Gallery of Art)
• Mesilla, New Mexico: History and Architecture of a Border Town (National Park Service)  
• National Register of Historic Places
  (National Park Service)  
• Pablo Picasso’s The Tragedy: Metamorphosis of a Painting
  (National Gallery of Art)  
• Picasso: The Early Years, 1892-1906
  (National Gallery of Art)
• Posters from the Division of Community Education (DIVEDCO) of Puerto Rico 1949 to 1989 (external link)
  (Smithsonian Institution)  
• Spanish Missions
  (Library of Congress, National Park Service and Historic American Buildings Survey)  
• Spanish Painting in the Seventeenth Century Online Tour
  (National Gallery of Art)

The Era of Exploration

• 1492: An Ongoing Voyage
  (Library of Congress)
• 1562 Map of America by Diego Gutiérrez
  (Library of Congress)
• English Exploration of the Americas: Kraus Collection of Sir Francis Drake
  (Library of Congress)
• Exploring the Early Americas
  (Library of Congress)
• The Road to Santa Fe: A Virtual Excursion
  (National Endowment for the Humanities)

Culture and Ethnography

• The Cultures and History of the Americas: The Jay I. Kislak Collection
  (Library of Congress)
• Ethnography and Folklore: Alan Lomax Collection
  (Library of Congress)
• Parallel Histories: Spain, the United States, and the American Frontier
  (Library of Congress)
• The Portuguese in the United States
  (Library of Congress)

Economics

• Citizens by Choice: Women in Business Leadership
  (National Archives)
• Records Relating to the Mexican Labor
  ("Bracero") Program, 1950 – 1964 (National Archives)

Government, Politics & Law

• Executive and Legislative Documents
  (Law Library of Congress)
• Hispanic Americans in Congress
  (Library of Congress)
• Mexican Border Crossing Records
  (National Archives)
• Platt Amendment 1903
  (National Archives)
• Supreme Court Justice Sonya Sotomayor -- Legal opinions, writings and confirmation documents
  (Law Library of Congress)  

Poetry & Literature

• Cuarderno de Ortographia, The first book published in New Mexico in 1834 (Library of Congress)

History

• Aerial Photograph of Missiles in Cuba, 1962
  (National Archives)
• De Lôme Letter, 1898
  (National Archives)
• Digitized Spanish Mission Records from Tumacacori National Historical Park 1684 – 1848
  (National Park Service)
• Hispanic Heritage Virtual Tour
  (Smithsonian Institution)
• Legacy: Spain and the United States in the Age of Independence (Smithsonian Institution)
• Mexican Border Crossing Records
  (National Archives)
• Military Resources: Mexican War, 1846-1848
  (National Archives)
• Platt Amendment, 1903
  (National Archives)
• Puerto Rico at the Dawn of the Modern Age
  (Library of Congress)
• School Desegregation and Civil Rights Stories: Orange County, California
  (National Archives)
• The Spanish Colonial Research Center
  (National Park Service)
• The Spanish-American War in Motion Pictures
  (Library of Congress)
• The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
  (National Archives)
• The United States Armed Forces and the Mexican Punitive Expedition
  (National Archives)
• The World of 1898: The Spanish-American War
  (Library of Congress)

Music

• California Gold: Northern California Folk Music from the Thirties (Library of Congress)
• Hispano Music and Culture of the Northern Rio Grande: The Juan B. Rael Collection
  (Library of Congress)

Resource Guides and Collection Overviews from the Library of Congress

• About the Hispanic, Portuguese, and Caribbean Collections: Overview and Researcher’s Guide  
• Collections Overviews - American Studies: Hispanic American Studies
• Hispanic and Portuguese Collections: An Illustrated Guide
• Latinos in Math & Science: Resources for kids, young adults and teachers

Guides from the National Archives

• Resources on Hispanic History and Genealogies in the Archives Library Information Center

Guides from the National Gallery of Art

• Courtly Art of the Ancient Maya: Children’s Guide (PDF, 1069 Kb)
• Diego Rivera in “Inside Scoop—For kids and grown-ups together” (PDF, 335 Kb)
• Joan Miró’s The Farm: Art & Ecology
   
• Picasso: The Early Years, 1892-1906: Teachers’ Guide
• Posters from the Division of Community Education (DIVEDCO) of Puerto Rico 1949 to 1989
  (Smithsonian Institution)
• Visitor Guide in Spanish (PDF, 525 Kb) 
• Visitor Guide in English (PDF, 528 Kb)