National Hispanic Heritage Month, an annual celebration of the contributions and achievements of Hispanic people, is spread across several weeks in September and October in honor of the independence day dates of many Latin American countries that fall within the two months.
This recognition month has been celebrated since 1968. The theme of the 2021 National Hispanic Heritage Month is “Esperanza (hope): A Celebration of Hispanic Heritage & Hope.”
With more than 60 million people of Hispanic or Latino heritage living in the United States, according to 2019 statistics, the influence from roots in Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America has been significant. In fact, the Appalachian region has seen a major Hispanic population boom of 121% from 2000-2010, including 145% in Tennessee.
With that growth has come a swell of Hispanic businesses and especially a growing food scene of restaurants. Hispanic ingredients are easily found in grocery stores.
Appalachian music also has seen an evolution, as the celebrated band Appalatin – with members from Kentucky, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Mexico and Guatemala – blends high-energy Latino and Appalachian folk music. “Gotitade Lluvia/Shady Grove” is a sample of their unique style, posted to YouTube.
What do we mean by ‘Hispanic’ or ‘Latino’?
The Hispanic culture is not truly a “race.” Instead, Hispanic is a reference to language – those who speak Spanish or are descended from a Spanish-speaking country. Latino (or Latina or sometimes Latinx) is a more geographic reference, meaning a person who is from, or a descendant of someone from, a Latin American country, sometimes with Black, Indigenous or European ancestry.
Still, although Hispanic and Latino are often used interchangeably, it’s important to note that the variety of languages, ethnicities, history, ancestral homelands and cultures vary greatly within this group of people who have made an impact on American life, and right here in our own Appalachian Highlands.
How much do you know about Latino/Hispanic culture? Here are some ways to learn more.
Watch a movie featuring Hispanic life
McFarland, USA
- Based on true events; Kevin Costner stars as the cross-country high school coach in a low-income, predominantly Latino community. He helps the teens on his team learn to use the skills of their sport to solve family and community problems.
Selena
- Jennifer Lopez stars in the true story of the iconic singer’s journey to reach the American dream, only to have it shattered by her tragic death.
Like Water for Chocolate (also a book by Laura Esquival)
- A woman who cannot marry the man she loves due to a family tradition expresses her affections through cooking and food.
Stand and Deliver
- This movie depicts the true story of an East Los Angeles high school math teacher who successfully inspires gang-member students to learn calculus and self-esteem.
Frida
- Salma Hayek stars in this movie about the famous painter.
Real Women Have Curves
- The struggle between first-generation immigrants and their parents is portrayed as a daughter of Mexican immigrants balances her college ambitions with pressure from her mother to marry.
The Book of Life (animated)
- A man struggles to come back from the dead to be with the woman he loves.
Coco (animated)
- A young boy who dreams of being a musician accidently ends up in the Land of the Dead and learns a heartwarming lesson about learning from elders.
Read a book by a Hispanic author
- Dreamers by Yuyi Morales (children’s book)
- How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez
- The Taste of Sugar by Marisel Vera
- I’m Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sánchez
- Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan
- The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
- The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio
Listen to Hispanic/Latino music
To honor National Hispanic Heritage Month, The National Endowment for the Arts’ National Fellowship Program shares a sample of music from Hispanic and Latino performing artists who have integrated their traditions into American culture.
Visit these sites and learn more
National Archives: Find articles, videos, resources and online exhibitions honoring National Hispanic Heritage Month at the National Archives website:
National Park Service: Learn about the more than 500 years of Hispanic and Latino history and heritage represented at national parks throughout the U.S.
