Call number REF E184 S75 O97

Origins

Initiated by the U.S. Congress as Hispanic Heritage Week more than 20 years ago, the celebration was expanded to an entire month in 1989, starting on September 15 and ending on October 15 each year. September 15 is independence day for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. September 16 is observed as the day of independence for Mexico and Chile's is September 18.

Did You Know...

• over 35 million people in the U.S. are of Hispanic origin?
• by 2050, the U.S. Hispanic population is expected to reach over 95 million?
• hispanic means "of or relating to Spain or Spanish-speaking Latin America?"

See a timeline of events in Hispanic American history, 1492-2003 or test your knowledge of Hispanic heritage with this quiz.

Call number REF E184 S75 E59

Hispanic Culture

A multitude of races and cultures have influenced Hispanic culture throughout Mexico, Central America and South America. These include Native American groups such as the Maya, Arawaks, Aztecs, Tainos, and the Inca, as well as European groups such as the Spanish, Portuguese, British, Dutch, and the French. Many Hispanic Americans trace their roots to the cultures of the indigenous peoples, while some identify with and trace their roots to the Spanish or other European ethnicities, which in the 15th century began colonizing much of Central and South America. Still others trace their roots to the Africans who were brought as slaves to the New World by European colonizers.

University Library Resources

For more information, check out these sources provided by the University Libraries:

• The Encyclopedia Britannica has in-depth articles about groups that have influenced Hispanic culture.
• For biographies of Hispanic Americans prominent from 1940 to the present, try Current Biography.
• For information on Hispanic writers, use the Literature Resource Center.

University Libraries Latin American and Caribbean Studies page

This guide identifies information sources available at the University Libraries in the field of Latin American and Caribbean Studies. It is designed to serve as a starting point from which students and faculty can begin their research. See also Internet Resources in Latin American and Caribbean studies.

Library of Congress Hispanic Reading Room

The Hispanic Reading Room is part of the Hispanic Division Area Studies at the Library of Congress. The division, which was founded in 1939, now houses the world's finest collection on the history and culture of Latin America, Iberia, and the Caribbean.