National Hispanic Heritage Month, observed from September 15 to October 15, celebrates the significant cultural contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans. Established in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week and expanded to a month in 1988, this period honors the history, culture, and achievements of this community. By uplifting Hispanic heritage in collections and programming, museums can foster greater cultural understanding and appreciation. This month provides a valuable opportunity for museums to engage visitors with compelling stories, celebrate heritage, and strengthen connections within the community, enriching the cultural landscape they represent. Join us in celebrating this community throughout this special month and beyond.
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Explore related resources from AAM:
In the AAM Resource Library, explore resources on DEAI & Anti-racism, including:
- Strategies for Engaging and Representing Latinos in Museums, developed by Adrián Aldaba, Natalie Espinosa, Diana Xochitl Munn, Laura Susana Reyes, and Margarita Sandino, provides insights, self-assessment questions, and strategies for authentic Latino engagement, bilingual initiatives, and increased representation on staff and boards.
- Creating Access, Inclusion, and Belonging through Language – On-Demand Program recorded from a session at the 2024 AAM Annual Meeting and MuseumExpo.
- Museopunks Episode 30: Truth and Reconciliation in Museums
What Can Museums Learn from the “American Dirt” Controversy? by Eric Carpio
Our Institutions as Sanctuaries by Eduardo Díaz
You, Me, We: Tackling Identity and Discrimination with Young Audiences by Melissa Higgins and Lok-Wah Li
Grants and Funding
Museum Grants for American Latino History and Culture
Institute for Museum and Library Services
Learn more about the Museum Grants for American Latino History and Culture (ALHC) program, which supports projects that build the capacity of American Latino history and culture museums to serve their communities, and broadly advance the growth and development of a professional workforce in American Latino cultural institutions. Funding is available to support a variety of projects, including exhibitions, educational programs, and community engagement initiatives to elevate American Latino stories and heritage.
Articles and stories from across the museum field:
“An Indelible Imprint: An interview with Eduardo Diaz” in Museum magazine
“Redefining ‘American’” by Nancy Bercaw and Patricia Arteaga in Museum magazine
The Making of ¡NUEVOlution!: collaboration, ambiguity and a willingness to fail by Kate Baillon, Kamille Bostick, Janeen Bryant, and Oliver Merino
A Community Museum’s Plan to Document Gentrification by Sarah Zenaida Gould, PhD
A Welcoming Week Celebration on the US-Mexico Border by Ann Fortescue and Claudia Martinez
Hispanic Heritage in the Humanities: Recent Projects Funded by the Division of Research Programs from the National Endowment for the Humanities
The Earnest Work of Dreaming: Chicanafuturism in Visual Art by Jadira Gurulé
American Artscape
2022 – Number 2
Read “Original Threads: Equity and Access in the Arts for Hispanic/Latinx Communities,” a special issue of the magazine of the National Endowment for the Arts.
Spotlight on:
DC History Center hosted a local Latino/a/x Community Archiving Program, assisting people to scan their photos, documents, and other materials—helping create a more complete historical record of the lived experiences of Washington, DC. Recap video by Cindy Centeno.
Read about the new brand revealed for the National Museum of the American Latino! To celebrate, the museum also encourages people to share their Mi Museo (My Museum) stories during Hispanic Heritage Month—about their connection to the museum or their own U.S. Latino identity and culture—on social media using hashtag #MiMuseo.
“Key Buildings for Chicanx Artists Added to LA Historic-Cultural Monument List” from Hyperallergic
“Museums Turn Their Focus to U.S. Artists of Latin Descent“ from the New York Times
“Using the term ‘Latinx,’ exhibition shows immigrants who merged into cultures of their new homes” from The Washington Post
“Smithsonian’s Latino gallery makes big gains for accessibility” from The Washington Post
“Latine is the new Latinx“ from Axios
“Museum in East Harlem celebrates the legacy of salsa“ from Spectrum News NY 1
Inspiration for how you or your museum might get involved:
Get inspiration from other museums this month or throughout the year:
- The Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with interactive exhibits, a community “ofrenda,” traditional lotería, and a lecture by Sarah Gould, CEO of the Mexican-American Civil Rights Institute.
- The Harn Museum of Art at the University of Florida kicked off Hispanic Heritage Month with its Museum Nights event, featuring the Latina Women’s League’s Latino Film Festival, crafts, collaborative artworks, and information from university Latin American organizations.
- The KID Museum and the Hispanic Heritage Foundation, with support from the Infosys Foundation USA, have launched Latinx Educator Maker Lab, a new professional development program that will equip both teachers and students with the skills and confidence to pursue computer science and STEM, while cultivating a culture of belonging.
- The Milwaukee Public Museum educators, some of whom are bilingual, teach visitors about Latino history, monarch butterflies, chocolate, Mesoamerican music, and an influential Mexican-American archaeologist at tables and carts located throughout the exhibits.
- The National Portrait Gallery’s “Fotos y Recuerdos Festival,” in collaboration with Lil’ Libros, is an all-ages event featuring vibrant portraits of Latino trailblazers, along with art, dancing, museum tours, story times, and a salsa and bomba workshop led by The Washington Ballet.
- The Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum opened its ‘Herencia Viva: Past to the Future’ exhibit celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, to honor contributions from Hispanics and Latinos in Vallejo from all eras, including ones that haven’t taken place yet, who have helped shape the city.
Additional resources from:
American Association for State and Local History:
Technical Leaflet 263: What’s the Big Idea? Using Listening Sessions to Build Relationships and Relevance (PDF) highlights how a museum used listening sessions to build relationships, featuring insights from the Latino New South initiative.
Attracting Latino Audiences: What Are You Doing? offers practical steps for attracting Latino audiences, even with limited resources.
Session recording: Interpreting Latino History on a National Scale: A Conversation with Jorge Zamanillo
American Writers Museum:
Hispanic Heritage Month Resources
Hispanic Star:
Hispanic Heritage Month Toolkit 2024
Library of Congress:
Free to Use and Reuse: Hispanic Heritage
The Hispanic Reading Room provides access to millions of items for researchers on the Caribbean, Latin America, and Luso-Hispanic heritage
National Archives:
Hispanic Heritage Month page has research resources, video discussions, magazine articles, and educational materials for students, educators, and historians.
National Endowment for the Arts:
“Celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month 2024!” by NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson (September, 2024)
National Endowment for the Humanities:
Virtual Bookshelf: Hispanic Heritage Month
National Park Service:
Hispanic Heritage Month – NPS Commemorations and Celebrations
Smithsonian Institute:
National Museum of the American Latino
Hispanic Heritage Month Resources
Sharing with the field
Did your museum honor or celebrate Hispanic Heritage during this month, or any time of year? Consider pitching an idea about your museum’s work with your community, how your museum worked internally on the initiative or program, or another relevant angle for museum professionals. We are always looking for posts that empower museum professionals to do their best work; reveal new ideas and connections; and speak to a wide breadth of museum types, sizes, and disciplines.
About Hispanic Heritage Month:
Proclamation on National Hispanic Heritage Month, 2024 – The White House
On the historical significance of Hispanic Heritage Month:
“Hispanic Heritage Month“ from History