Resources about Hispanic Americans Experience in the United States
Hispanic American, as well as, other terms such as Latino/Latina, are umbrella terms, meaning that they represent a wide variety of people and nationalities embedded in one term. It is used broadly to include the descendants of people that migrate to the United States from the Americas, e.g. Cuban, Puerto Rican, Mexican, Brazilian, Salvadoreans, etc. The most recent term, Latinx, not only refers to ethnicity but also to gender identity.
"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. It 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, with 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."
Text Source: National Hispanic Heritage Month Website
Photo Credit: Armijo MEChA Mural. Politec acrylic mural on the wall of Armijo High School's administration building, Fairfield, CA. The panel features a pyramid of values before a globe, and lowriders on the left side.
- Who is Hispanic?“Hispanic” and “Latino” are pan-ethnic terms meant to describe – and summarize – the population of people of that ethnic background living in the U.S. This report explore how the U.S. Census count this population and expand on how these labels are not as fixed or acceptable for everyone think.
- National Latino Family Report 2023UnidosUS in collaboration with Abriendo Puertas/Opening Doors and BSP Research, released a comprehensive study of the economic and social issues facing Latino families with children prenatal through five years old.
- Exhibitions and Collections that Celebrate Hispanic Heritage MonthThis is a selection of exhibitions and digital collections from the Library of Congress, the National Archives and Record Administrators and other governmental offices that celebrate the complexity of Hispanic Americans in the United States
- The New Latino Landscape (2021)Article from NBC News about the changing demographics among Latina/os and how they are settling in new geographical areas in the U.S.
Hispanic Americans are an integral part of California history, economy, politics, and culture! UCSB Library and Archive have created wonderful exhibits highlighting their presence in the state. Please visit these exhibits to learn more about history and contributions!
- Rumbo a California: Making Mexican American Music in the Golden State
This is an exhibit online that celebrate Mexican music produced and recorded in California. Rumbo a California tells the story of the people, the labels, and the songs that made Mexican and Mexican American music such a vital part of California culture in the twentieth century. - Nuestras Americas
This exhibition examines how people of Latin American descent create a sense of space and belonging in the U.S. through visual and musical expressions. The exhibition uses a hemispheric lens as it explores the dynamics of affirmation and celebration in music and visual art, as well as the struggles for collective identification and self-determination. - Vexed: LA Chicano Punk Scene
This exhibit celebrates the young "Chicanas and Chicanos in the greater Eastside of Los Angeles began adopting the D-I-Y (do it yourself) punk aesthetic. They expressed their own anger, discontent, and feelings of marginalization through its frenzied musical style and biting social commentary." - Chicana Artist: Laura Molina
Sample of the art of Laura Molina, a Los Angeles-based Chicana feminist artist, animator, writer, musician, and political activist. On Display: Cihualyaomiquiz: The Jaguar - Exploring Latinx Civil Rights in the United States
This is a blog at the Library of Congress which explores the history of Latinx Civil Rights in the United States. The topics changed on a regular basis. Check it out!
About the image: Poster celebrating 5th Hispanic American festival by Rene Castro. Located at the Library of Congress, https://lccn.loc.gov/2022667073
- Calisphere
Calisphere aggregates digital materials from all UC's, and libraries, archives, and museums across the state. A great resource to find images and other digital resources related to the Hispanic/Latinx and Chicana/o populations in CA and the rest of the United States. You can search across all collections, search for specific collections, or search within any of the UC campuses sites. Try search by ethnicity or a topic such as "United Farm Workers" or "Chicano movement". Tip: Use quotation marks to search for phrases!
- Arte Público Hispanic Historical Collection: Series 1 & 2 This link opens in a new windowThis archive of publications focused exclusively on US Hispanic history, literature and culture from colonial times until 1960. Context is written, indexed and searchable in Spanish and English.
Series 1 focuses on the creative life of US Latinos and Hispanics.
Series 2 chronicles Latino-Hispanic civil rights leaders, religious thinkers and women writers in the United States from the late 19th to mid 20th century.
- Google Arts and Culture: UCLA Chicano Studies Research StudiesA selection of digital collections from the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Studies Library
- New York Public Library. Digital Collections.Prints, photographs, maps, manuscripts, streaming video, and more, from the collections of the New York Public Library. You can find historical images of the many ethnic groups in NYC and the United States, e.g. Mexican American, Puerto Rican, Dominican, etc.
- El Centro: Center for Puerto Rican Studies Digital CollectionsThis site provides access to photographs, documents, artifacts, art, maps, oral histories, moving image and audio clips, and other material pertaining to the Puerto Rican diaspora. Highlights include material from the Pura Belpre Papers, Justo A. Marti Photograph Collection, and interviews from Centro's Oral History Project. The Gallery section contains curated content on a variety of topics and people.
- University of Miami: Cuban Heritage Collection OnlineDigital collections developed by the Cuban Heritage Collection documenting Cuba and the Cuban diaspora from colonial times to the present. These materials include rare books and journals, as well as archival materials including documents, correspondence, photographs, maps, scrapbooks, audio, video, and oral histories.
The UCSB Library has many resources available with the latest research related to the Hispanic American experience in the United States. Below are some selected databases to get you started on your research! Check the tab Finding Articles, Books, Films & Music for a complete list of databases that you can use to do research about Hispanic/Latina/os in the U.S.
50 Events That Shaped Latino History: an Encyclopedia of the American Mosaic [2 Volumes] by ISBN: 9781440837630Publication Date: 2018-03-2250 Events that Shaped Latino History: An Encyclopedia of the American Mosaic is a valuable reference that provides a chronological overview of Latino/a history, beginning with the indigenous populations of the Americas through the present day.
Ethnic Groups of the Americas: an Encyclopedia by ISBN: 9781610691642Publication Date: 2013-03-14Combining up-to-date information with extensive historical and cultural background, the encyclopedia covers approximately 150 groups arranged alphabetically. Each engaging entry offers a short introduction detailing names, population estimates, language, and religion. This is followed by a history of the group through the turn of the 19th century, with background on societal organization and culture and expanded information on language and religious beliefs. The last section of each entry discusses the group in the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries, including information on its present situation. Readers will also learn about demographic trends and major population centers, parallels with other groups, typical ways of life, and relations with neighbors. Major events and notable challenges are documented, as are key figures who played a significant political or cultural role in the group's history. Each entry also provides a list for further reading and research.
- Chicano Database This link opens in a new windowContains records for all types of materials in the areas of Mexican-American topics. Since 1992 the database has also indexed materials on other Latino cultures, e.g., Puerto Ricans, Cuban Americans and Central American immigrants. Subject coverage includes art, language, sociology, public policy, economics, history, literature, politics, and law.
- Hispanic American Periodicals Index (HAPI) This link opens in a new windowAuthoritative, worldwide information about Central and South America, Mexico, the Caribbean basin, the United States-Mexico border region, and Hispanics in the United States. HAPI Online contains complete bibliographic citations to articles, book reviews, documents, original literary works, and other materials appearing in more than 400 key social science and humanities journals published throughout the world.
- Latino Literature This link opens in a new windowLatino Literature contains approximately 380 plays and 67,500 pages of prose and poetry by Chicano, Cuban, Puerto Rican, Dominican and other Latin writers working in the United States.
Every year the U.S. Census Bureau and the Pew Research Center release articles and statistics related to the Hispanic populations as part of Hispanic Heritage Month. Check out below the most recent reports!
- Census-- Hispanic Heritage Month 2023
Visit this site to learn the latest statistics about the Hispanic/Latino population in the United States! - Facts on Latinos in the U.S.
Fact Sheets about all Hispanic/Latino groups in the US. Data covers from 2020 to 2022. - 11 facts about Hispanic origin groups in the U.S.
Here are 11 facts about the U.S. Hispanic population, its origin groups and how those groups differ from one another. This analysis is based primarily on data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2021 American Community Survey.