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 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 to cover a 30-day period starting on September 15 and ending on October 15. It was enacted into law on August 17, 1988, on the approval of Public Law 100-402.

The day of September 15 is significant because 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 September 16 and September 18, respectively. Also, Columbus Day or Día de la Raza, which is October 12, falls within this 30 day period."

Hispanic Heritage Month This Web portal is a collaborative project of the Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and U.S. National Archives and Records Administration.
National Museum of the American Latino The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino advances the representation, understanding and appreciation of Latino history and culture in the United States.
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The museum provides resources and collaborates with other museums to expand scholarly research, public programs, digital content, collections and more. The museum operates its Molina Family Latino Gallery, the Smithsonian’s first gallery dedicated to the Latino experience, at the National Museum of American History.

Reading Lists for Hispanic Heritage Month

Recommended books by Latinx authors:

The best Latino books, according to Latinx writers
These Latino books include poetry collections, memoirs and novels from Angie Cruz, Jennine Capó Crucet, Carmen Maria Machado and more. From NBC News.
Latinx Fiction Staff Picks
Hispanic Heritage Month 2023: Fiction for Adults
Check out these recent releases from authors of Hispanic or Latine background.
New Groups Aim To Get More Latinx Stories To Young Readers
From NPR, recommended Latinx fiction for children and teens.
The Literary Canon Is Mostly White. Here’s an Alternative Latin American Reading List
A list of nine books that you can read in addition to the canonical texts on your curriculum.

Streaming Video from Holman Library

Films on Demand This link opens in a new window
Search or browse for films on many topics, such as Anthropology, Biology, Business & Economics, Careers, and many more.

The New Latinos (1946-1965): The Latino Americans from Films on Demand

The New Latinos (1946-1965): The Latino Americans
Films on Demand: Until World War II, Latino immigration to the United States was overwhelmingly Mexican-American. Now three new waves bring large-scale immigration from Puerto Rico, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic. Films like West Side Story, etched the stereotype of the knife-wielding Puerto Rican in the American consciousness, fueling hatred and discrimination. Follow the story of seven immigrants seeking a new life in the United States, the discrimination they faced, and their fight for recognition. Distributed by PBS Distribution.

Foreigners in Their Own Land (1565-1880): The Latino Americans from Films on Demand

Foreigners in Their Own Land (1565-1880): The Latino Americans
Films on Demand: This film covers conflicts between the British and Spanish colonial systems as Manifest Destiny pushed the U.S into the Mexican territories of the South West, and the Mexican American War. By exploring the Spanish Mission System, California rancheros, the Gold Rush, and Las Gorras Blancas (The White Caps), learn how conquest, shifting borders and dispossession shaped Hispano culture and identity in former Mexican territories of the Southwestern United States. Part of PBS series The Latino Americans. (52 minutes) Distributed by PBS Distribution.

You can also watch the entire series on the PBS website:

Latino Americans: PBS Documentary
LATINO AMERICANS is a three-part, six-hour documentary series that aired nationally on PBS in 2013.
Symbols of Resistance: A Tribute to the Martyrs of the Chican@ Movement
Illuminating the untold stories of the Chican@ Movement with a focus on events in Colorado and New Mexico, the film engages student activism, police repression, and issues of identity, land, and community that still resonate in Chican@ struggles today.
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Through interviews with those who shaped the movement and rare historical footage, the film offers a window into a dynamic moment in history.

Databases for exploring Latinx History

U.S. History in Context (Gale) This link opens in a new window
Full-text articles from scholarly journals, magazines, and newspapers, reference sources, primary documents, and selected websites.
World History in Context (Gale) This link opens in a new window
Full-text scholarly journal articles, primary sources, and reference books covering world history from antiquity to the present.
Gale eBooks This link opens in a new window
Search for authoritative information in subject encyclopedias selected for courses and programs at Green River College

The Return to Aztlán

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month…enjoy this striking, artful homage linking Mexican reformers back through history:

(click link below for larger image)

The Return to Aztlán

Books in the Library

Our America: a Hispanic history of the United States

Main Collection

Latino USA: A Cartoon History

Main Collection

Harvest of Empire: A History of Latinos in America

Main Collection

The Penguin history of Latin America

Main Collection

Open Veins of Latin America

Main Collection

The Soul of Latin America: The Cultural and Political Tradition

Main Collection

The Chicano Experience

Main Collection

Chronology of Hispanic-American History: From Pre-Columbian Times to the Present

Reference Collection--in-library use only

Barrio America: how Latino immigrants saved the American city

Main Collection

The Chicano Movement

Latinx Heritage Focus: The Chicano Movement

Citations for works and images on infographic:

Gómez-Quiñones, J., & Morris, I. V. (2005). Chicano Movement. In M. C. Horowitz (Ed.), New Dictionary of the History of Ideas (Vol. 1, pp. 305-309). Charles Scribner's Sons.

Holman Library. (2022, September). Latinx heritage focus: The Chicano movement [Illustration]. Latinx Studies. https://libguides.greenriver.edu/Latinxstudies

Kovalchek, F. (2021, August). Street art at Chicano Park, Barrio Logan, San Diego [Photograph]. Flickr. https://flic.kr/p/2mUKunu

Seattle Civil Rights & Labor History Project (n.d.). The creation of a community. El Centro de la Raza,1-2. http://depts.washington.edu/civilr/images/mecha/ docs/pdfs/elcentro.pdf

Telles, E. E. & Ortiz, V.. (2008). Generations of Exclusion : Mexican-Americans, Assimilation, and Race. Russell Sage Foundation.