National Hispanic Heritage Month is observed in the United States from September 15 through October 15. It’s imperative to respect and uplift the identities of all people year-round, but we also appreciate heritage months that offer a special opportunity to celebrate—and center—diverse identities.
But we want to acknowledge that the very name of this heritage month presents a challenge for observants and opens discussions about identity, homogenization and its relationship with colonization. As former Learning for Justice teaching and learning specialist Stef Bernal-Martinez explains in “Unmaking Hispanic: Teaching the Creating of Hispanic Identity,” “there is no perfect pathway or absolute language for recognizing both the shared and unique experiences within Hispanic communities.”
We offer a few of our favorite resources, including Bernal-Martinez’s article, to help honor, teach and learn about the vast histories and cultures associated with Hispanic heritage.
Identity and Culture
Unmaking “Hispanic”: Teaching the Creation of Hispanic Identity
“Hispanic” heritage includes a diverse range of cultures, nationalities, histories and identities.
Community Organizing Uplifts Immigrant Students
Tapping into their own agency and communities, immigrant students and their families are finding ways to mitigate serious obstacles.
Following Hurricane Maria, these educators looked to tradition to help colleagues and students mourn what was lost—and celebrate what remains.
Luego del paso del Huracán María en el 2017, un grupo de artistas puertorriqueños está ayudando a maestros y estudiantes encontrar propósito y estabilidad dibujando el legado de la bomba puertorriqueña.
Building Bridges With Body Movement
In this “Rhythm of Resilience” online extra, see la bomba Puertorriqueña in action!
Story Corner | The America Project
When Carmen asks her mom what it means to be Puerto Rican and American, she learns a valuable lesson about identity and culture.
Complexities of Complexion … Revisited
This educator reflects on a blog she wrote and finds herself confronting the same misperceptions from others about her culture and worldview.
Educator Lauryn Mascareñaz addresses misconceptions about Mexican culture and the politicization of a popular holiday.
Intersectionality
Latinx History Is Black History
This webinar offers stories and strategies for teaching Afro-Latinx history.
Honoring LGBTQ Voices During Hispanic Heritage Month
Too often, curricula and media position racial and sexual identities as either-ors. Hispanic Heritage Month is an opportunity to change that.
This short film explores intersectionality in a powerful way, illustrating the beauty and conflict that can arise as we move between languages, places and societal expectations.
Resistance and Resilience
This Latinx civic empowerment program seeks to “take stories of adversity and flip them into stories of glory.”
El programa de Mariposas busca “tomar historias de adversidad y convertirlas en historias de éxito.”
Puerto Rico: Decency, Outrage and Collective Power
A former Teaching Tolerance Advisory Board member encourages us to bring the lessons of the Puerto Rico protests into our practice and our classrooms this year.
External Resources
The Fundamental Paradox of Latinidad
In this article published by the Atlantic, history professor and author Geraldo L. Cadava critically examines what it means to be Latinx.
Hispanic and Latinx Heritage and History in the United States
These resources by the National Endowment for the Humanities help guide educators teach the rich history and cultures of Hispanic and Latinx culture in the U.S.
In this Smithsonian resource, learn more about the Puerto Rican American historian, writer, curator and activist who detailed the African diasporic experience.
