Today marks the first day of National Hispanic Heritage Month which is celebrated each year from September 15 to October 15 across the nation. The month is a time to honor Hispanic heritage by celebrating the histories, cultures, languages, and the remarkable contributions of Hispanic people to the fabric of the United States, whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. It is also a time to revisit ways to integrate diverse cultural material into education lessons all year long.
Here are some educational resources that can be used by schools to honor, recognize, and teach students about Hispanic heritage:
- Library of Congress – Hispanic Heritage Month Website
- Anti-Defamation League (ADL) – National Hispanic Heritage Month: Ideas for Teachers
- PBS Learning Media – Latino Americans Share Their Experiences
- National Museum of American History: Latina/o Heritage Month Collections
- PBS Learning Media: Latino Americans Collection
- Iowa Women’s Archives – Migration is Beautiful
- Scholastic – 17 Books to Celebrate Hispanic and Latine Heritage
- The Smithsonian – Latino Center
- ReadWriteThink – Latinx Heritage Month begins today
- NEA – Hispanic Heritage Month
- LA County Library – Chicano Resource Center
- University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) – Chicano Resource Center
- Institute of Mexico, Washington DC – Mexico Cultural Institute
For further resources and information about integrating diverse backgrounds, cultures, and experiences into classroom lessons, please visit the Maine Department of Education’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion webpage.