Hispanic Heritage Month
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.
Hispanic heritage is inseparable from the story of Texas and her people. This legacy spans centuries and highlights some of the most important elements of the Texas experience. Each year, Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to acknowledge the ways in which Hispanic Texans have shaped our state for the better.
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.
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 Arnoldo De León, Ph.D. 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 State Historical Association Handbook of Tejano History
The Handbook of Tejano History contains more than 1,200 entries about Tejano contributions to Texas life and culture, Spanish Texas, elected officials, community leaders, education, and influential organizations that reflect the vitality and continued development of Tejano history. The table of contents allows browsing by category, time period, or place.
Texas Time Travel
The Texas Historical Commission Hispanic Heritage website provides resources and videos (available in Spanish) to discover how Hispanic heritage shapes early Texas and continues to create the Texas of today.
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.
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.
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.