Hispanic Heritage Month

No matter our color, ZIP code, language, or immigration status, every child deserves a public education grounded in truth, respect for one another, and the freedom to pursue their dreams. 

Hispanic Heritage Month is an opportunity to celebrate Hispanic and Latino communities and invite people of all backgrounds to learn about and appreciate the experiences, traditions, and rich tapestry that have helped shape our nation. 

At a time when some politicians are attempting to whitewash our history and restrict the freedom to teach and learn, it is especially important that our students learn the full story of America. Hispanic and Latino communities have left an indelible mark on art, music, literature, science, politics, education, labor, civil rights, and countless other areas of American life. That legacy is a source of pride and a powerful reminder that our diversity has always been one of our greatest strengths. 

We invite educators, students, families, and communities to use and share these resources, books, lessons, videos, and activities noted below throughout Hispanic Heritage Month and beyond—to spark curiosity, inspire meaningful conversations, encourage continued learning, and celebrate the vibrant histories, cultures, and contributions of Hispanic and Latino people.

ACTIVITIES

Bring Hispanic Heritage Month to Life: A Collection of Resources
Interactive timelines, scavenger hunts, and other learning fun all about Hispanic Americans. Grades K-8

Colorín Colorado - Hispanic Heritage Month
Information, puzzles, biographies for English language learners. In English and Spanish. Grades K-12

24 Fun Activities to Honor Hispanic Heritage Month
We Are Teachers offers a round-up of activities to try with kids. Includes crafts, recipes, book recommendations, and more. Grades K-12

Learn about and make your own lotería cards Grades 4-10

Printables

Famous Hispanic Americans (K-5)
Coloring pages and hero cards for sports, science, politics, and the arts.

BACKGROUND RESOURCES

The National Archives compiles resources from its collections to help educators recognize the achievements and contributions of Hispanic Americans. Find relevant Teaching with Documents columns and an array of articles, online exhibits, and other source materials to bolster your lesson plans.

Learn more about American Latino experiences at the National Museum of the American Latino's website. Find basic information on Latino food, art, culture, Latin independence days, alongs with ways to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and links to exhibits and bilingual education resources.

Fact Monster - History of Hispanic Heritage Month

Smithsonian National Museum of the American Latino: Molina Family Latino Gallery
Includes exhibitions, virtual museum, and more.

Articles Tagged as Latino American History from Smithsonian magazine.

Library of Congress - Hispanic Heritage Month
Images, exhibits, audio, and video.

Mexican American Migrations and Communities
Teacher Resources and ideas on how to use these these resources

Pew Research Center: Who is Hispanic?
Analysis on statistics and identity.

AUDIO & VIDEO

Hispanic History - Timeline, Resources, Stories, Videos

Before Brown v Board, Mendez fought California's Segregated Schools
NPR interview with Sylvia Mendez

Spanish Movies for Kids: G- and PG-rated Titles
Each year we’re seeing more Spanish movies for kids hit the theaters and streaming services. This is a list of family-friendly Spanish movies for kids (these are great movies for Spanish class as well!)

Chicano! History of the Mexican-American Civil Rights Movement
This documentary series chronicles the struggle for equality and social justice of the Mexican American community in the United States from 1965 to 1975.

BackStory: After Hurricane Maria - The History of Puerto Rico and the United States (Listen to Audio)

Higher Education

Explore resources that highlight the history, experiences, and contributions of Hispanic and Latino communities in higher education and beyond. These resources offer opportunities for students and educators to examine primary sources, explore Hispanic-Serving Institutions, engage with Latino history and civil rights, and learn about issues shaping college campuses today. 

Hispanic-Serving Institutions & Latino Student Success

• Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) — Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU)
  Explore current data, fact sheets, research, and lists of Hispanic-Serving Institutions and Emerging HSIs across the country. According to HACU's analysis of 2024–25 IPEDS data, 645 institutions meet the HSI enrollment criterion and enroll 68.2% of Hispanic undergraduates attending nonprofit postsecondary institutions.
• HACU Higher Education Research & Data 
  Explore research, policy analysis, HSI fact sheets, STEM resources, and data examining Hispanic participation and success in higher education.
• 2026 Hispanic-Serving Institutions Fact Sheet — HACU 
  Explore current data on the nation's 645 HSIs, including Hispanic enrollment, Pell Grant recipients, institutional types, geographic distribution, and social mobility. 

Latino History, Identity & Educational Access 

• Who Is Hispanic? — Pew Research Center
  Examine how Hispanic identity is defined in the United States, including questions of race, ethnicity, ancestry, Census classifications, and self-identification. A useful resource for classroom discussions about identity and the diversity of Latino communities. 
• Mendez v. Westminster — Library of Congress
  Explore the landmark school desegregation case brought by Mexican American families in California and its lasting significance for educational opportunity, civil rights, and equal protection. Includes historical context, court cases, photographs, and primary sources. 
• Mexican American Migrations and Communities — Library of Congress 
  Examine photographs, newspapers, oral histories, maps, and other primary sources documenting Mexican American migration, communities, culture, labor, discrimination, and movements for social justice. Includes an analysis tool and discussion activities that can be adapted for college courses.
• Hispanic American History — National Archives
  Explore federal records and primary sources documenting Hispanic and Latino experiences and contributions to U.S. history, including civil rights, arts and culture, Puerto Rico, and prominent Hispanic Americans.

Explore Latino History

• ¡Presente! A Latino History of the United States — National Museum of the American Latino 
  Explore Latino history through first-person oral histories, biographies, artifacts, an interactive map, and a 360-degree virtual tour. Topics include Latino identity, immigration, historical legacies, and the many ways Latinos have shaped the United States. 
• National Museum of the American Latino Exhibitions
  Explore current and digital exhibitions highlighting Latino history, arts, music, culture, identity, and experiences in the United States. 

Labor, Civil Rights & Civic Engagement 

• Hispanic Americans in Labor & the Labor Movement — Library of Congress
  Explore the contributions of Hispanic and Latino workers to the U.S. labor movement across agriculture, factories, meatpacking, hospitality, and other industries. Learn about workers and organizers who fought for collective bargaining, better wages and working conditions, voting rights, and workplace protections—including Emma Tenayuca and the 1938 San Antonio Pecan Shellers Strike.  
• United Farm Workers & Latino Labor Organizing — Library of Congress 
  Learn about Dolores Huerta, the United Farm Workers, the Delano grape strike, boycotts, and the broader movement for dignity, fair treatment, and worker rights.  
• Hispanic and Latino Civil Rights in the United States — Library of Congress 
  Explore landmark events, organizations, leaders, and court cases that have shaped Latino civil rights, including educational equality, labor organizing, voting rights, and political representation. 

Immigration, DACA & Higher Education

• Immigration Issues: Guidance for Educators — NEA 
  Access current NEA guidance and resources addressing immigration issues affecting students, educators, schools, colleges, and universities, including higher education guidance, DACA, FAFSA, immigration enforcement, and Know Your Rights information.  
• DACA and FAFSA — NEA 
  Find information about the current status of DACA and important considerations for students and families navigating FAFSA and financial aid.  
• Employment-Based Sponsorship for Educators with Vulnerable Immigration Status — NEA 
  Explore resources for educators with DACA, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), or other vulnerable immigration statuses who may want to learn about potential employment-based sponsorship pathways. 

Freedom to Learn

• Freedom to Learn — NEA 
  Find resources to support the freedom of students and educators to learn, teach, explore ideas, and engage with an honest and inclusive education.  
• Demand the Freedom to Learn — NEA 
  Explore NEA resources supporting academic freedom, diverse viewpoints, inclusive curricula, research and innovation, and equitable access to postsecondary education. 

Building the Next Generation of Educators

• Strengthening the Educator Pipeline and Supporting Aspiring Educators — NEA 
  Learn about strategies to recruit and retain the next generation of educators, including efforts to address the shortage of Latino, Black, and Indigenous educators and expand Grow Your Own programs, teacher residencies, apprenticeships, and other pathways into the profession.
• NEA Aspiring Educators 
  Connect college students preparing to enter the education profession with resources, leadership opportunities, professional development, and a national community of Aspiring Educators. 

Interactive Activities

Bring Hispanic Heritage Month to life through hands-on activities that encourage students to create, explore, listen, move, and discover. These activities can be adapted for different ages and used in classrooms, campuses, homes, and communities. 

Create & Play

• Make Your Own Lotería Cards | Grades 4–10 
  Learn about lotería, a traditional Mexican game similar to bingo, and create your own cards inspired by people, places, objects, and traditions. 
• Explore Latino Murals | Adaptable for Grades K–12 
  Explore Latino murals using photographs and primary sources from the Library of Congress. Students can examine images, symbols, language, family traditions, and community stories—and consider what they would include in a mural about their own community.  
• Write Your Own Corrido | Grades 6–12 
  Explore the corrido, a Mexican narrative song tradition that tells stories about people, communities, and historical events. Students can examine historic examples and then write their own corrido in English or Spanish.  

Explore & Discover

• Bring Hispanic Heritage Month to Life | Grades K–8 
  Explore Hispanic and Latino history and culture through interactive timelines, scavenger hunts, and other learning activities. 
• Colorín Colorado: Hispanic Heritage Month | Grades K–12 
  Explore bilingual books, classroom activities, lesson plans, author resources, multimedia, and materials for English language learners in English and Spanish.
• ¡Descubra! Hispanic Heritage — Smithsonian Learning Lab | Grades 2–8 & High School Spanish 
  Explore Hispanic and Latino culture through interactive Smithsonian collections and activities featuring poetry, music, sculpture, photography, oral histories, food, family traditions, and more. Activities are available for different grade levels and include opportunities to engage in English and Spanish. 
• 8 Ways to Observe Hispanic Heritage Month | All Ages 
  Take learning beyond the classroom by reading Latino authors, exploring Latino cuisine, visiting museums and historical sites, attending cultural events, watching films, supporting Latino-owned businesses, and celebrating with family and friends. 

Explore Stem & Innovation

• ¡Descubra! Meet the Science Expert: Create-It STEM Activities | Grades K-12
  Become the scientist through hands-on STEM/STEAM projects exploring engineering, earth and space science, biology, chemistry, physics, and environmental science. Activities include building wind instruments, engineering an Inka grass bridge, exploring whales, and designing a Mars rover.  
• The Great Inka Road: Explore Indigenous Innovation | Grades 5–8 
  Discover how the Inka designed an extraordinary road system across the Andes. Students can explore interactive maps, videos, images, engineering challenges, and hands-on activities examining bridges, transportation, agriculture, water management, and Indigenous innovation.  

Listen & Move

• Latin American Music Lesson Plans — Smithsonian Folkways | Grades K–12 
  Explore music from Latin America and Latino communities through classroom-ready lessons featuring listening, singing, instruments, rhythm, movement, history, and cultural traditions. 
• ¡Baila! Latin Dance in the Spanish Classroom | Grades 9–12 
  Explore salsa, mambo, merengue, rumba, cha-cha, bachata, and samba while building Spanish-language skills. Students research the history and geographic origins of different dances and share what they learn through presentations and movement.  
• Raíces Latinas: Smithsonian Folkways Latino Music Collection | Grades 6–12 & Higher Education 
  Listen to and explore the diverse musical traditions that have shaped Latino culture, including Afro-Cuban rumba, Puerto Rican jíbaro music, Tejano conjunto, Mexican mariachi and corridos, Brazilian music, and traditions from across Latin America.  
• Latino Music & Culture — Smithsonian Folkways | Grades 6–12 & Higher Education 
  Explore Smithsonian recordings, videos, artist stories, and cultural resources that connect music with migration, identity, community, history, and traditions across Latin America and Latino communities in the United States. 

Celebrate at School, Home & In Your Community

• 31 Fun Activities to Honor Hispanic Heritage Month | Grades K–12 
  Explore hands-on ways to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, including virtual field trips, traditional foods, crafts, books, music, classroom projects, and other activities. 
• Hispanic Heritage Month with PBS KIDS | Early Childhood & Elementary 
  Celebrate Hispanic and Latino cultures through books, music, family stories, recipes, crafts, and hands-on activities for young learners and their families.  
• Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month — National Museum of the American Latino | All Ages 
  Take Hispanic Heritage Month beyond the classroom by researching Latino leaders, reading Latino authors, preparing traditional foods, exploring museums and exhibitions, watching films, learning dances, participating in community service, and attending cultural events.
• My Community History Project — Smithsonian | Grades 6–12 & Higher Education 
  Learn how to plan, conduct, record, and preserve an oral history with a family or community member. Students can document stories about family, education, work, traditions, neighborhoods, migration, and community experiences while learning how individual stories contribute to our shared history. Resources are available in English and Spanish. 
• Discover Latino History in Your Community — UnidosUS | Adaptable for Grades K–12 
  Encourage students to research Latino leaders, educators, artists, workers, neighborhoods, organizations, and historic events in their own communities—and share what they discover through stories, music, dance, poetry, presentations, or other creative projects.

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