“In 1968, Congress authorized President Lyndon B. Johnson to proclaim a week in September as National Hispanic Heritage Week. The observance was expanded in 1988 to a month long celebration (Sept. 15-Oct. 15). During this month, America celebrates the culture and traditions of U.S. residents who trace their roots to Spain, Mexico and the Spanish-speaking nations of Central America, South America and the Caribbean. Sept. 15 was chosen as the starting point for the celebration because it is the anniversary of independence of five Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on Sept. 16 and Sept. 18, respectively.” Source: U.S. Newswire

• Hispanic Heritage Month — Image galleries, exhibits, activities and other resources that highlight “The strength and hard work of Hispanic Americans, whose zeal for family and country have helped shape society” — from the Hispanicheritagemonth.gov Website.
• Hispanic Heritage Teaching Resources — From the Smithsonian Education Website
• FactMonster: Hispanic Heritage Month — A collection of articles, biographies, quizzes, and more from InfoPlease
• Facts for Features: Hispanic Heritage Month — This page from the U.S. Census Bureau includes statistics on Hispanic Americans and links to more information
• Hispanic Heritage in the Americas — Biographies, images, learning resources, writings and more from Brittanica.com
• National Hispanic Heritage Month — From the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service
• Celebrating Hispanic Heritage — Biographies, images, video, a trivia game and other resources from Biography.com

Activities for Kids

• Pura Belpre Award Books — The Pura Belpre Award is presented annually to Latina/o authors and illustrators “whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth.” All titles are linked to the NOBLE catalog.

• Hispanic Heritage Month — Lesson plans and other resources from EducationWorld
• Celebrate Hispanic Heritage — You’ll find games and more at this Scholastic website
• Hispanic Heritage Resources for Teachers — Art and music activities, printables, lesson plans and more from the TeacherVision Website.