Responding to the growing demands of many Hispanic organizations to recognize the large latino population in the United States, the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives passed a joint resolution on Sept. 17, 1968 declaring that the week of Sept. 15 and 16 be formally recognized as Hispanic Heritage month. Eventually, the week long celebration was extended to four – the weeks of Sept. 15 and Oct. 15. The switch was made to give teachers more of a chance to recognize the importance of Hispanics in America.
Thus, for the past 20 years, as students begin to trickle back into school after summer break, Americans have been celebrating the vast achievements of the Latin populations in the US. To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month on your own this month, check out a few of these events from around the DC metropolitan area.
- September 15 through October 15, 10:00 to 5:30 - During the entire Hispanic Heritage month, the National Postal Museum will be offering a free Hispanic Heritage Hunt. The Scavenger hunt is geared more toward a younger audience though all are welcome to participate.
Weekdays, September 15 through October 15, 12:00 –4:30 (closed Mondays) and Weekends, September 18–October 10, 10:30–4:30 - Throughout the month, visitors at the National Museum of American History can learn more about famous Hispanic scientists such as Severo Ochoa, Mario Molina, Ellen Ochoa and Antonio Novello by conducting experiments relating to their groundbreaking work.
Daily, 10:00 to 5:30 - at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery there will be an art exhibition illuminating the relationships between the Islam of medieval Spain and Christian and Jewish cultures.
Daily, 10:00 to 5:30- the National Museum of American History will have on display in its Popular Culture Gallery on the third floor Rebecca Lobo's Jersey from the 1996 Summer Olympics. Her fame helped the WNBA gain widespread popularity in its inaugural season.
Mondays, Sept. 20 through October, 11:00 at 12:00- At the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, the Renwick offers Spanish language tours of all exhibitions and crafts currently on view. Admission is free, but reservations are required. Call 202.275.1693.
Saturday, Sept. 18 at 11:00 a.m. – The Mariachi Azteca Band will perform at Olney Library and there will be a presentation on Mexico and Mexican costumes, food, and crafts. All ages are welcome.
Sunday, September 19, 11:00 – 5:00 - The annual Family Musical Fiesta Festival at the National Zoological Park this year features a Latin American food court, live music, dance performances, traditional Latin arts and crafts, special animal feedings and demonstrations narrated in English and Spanish, and a hands-on science game about animal adaptations. Zoo scientists are on hand to talk about their efforts to study and protect animals in Latin America.
Tuesday, Sept. 21 at 5:30 - This date marks the beginning of the week long festival 'First Americans Festival' which is dedicated to Mexican Indians. The festival is located on the National Mall. Mexican American singer Lila Downs is among the performers singing in Mixtec, Zapotec, Maya, and other Mexican Indian languages but also does takes on such well-known tunes as "La Bamba" and "La Cucaracha."
Saturday, Sept. 25 at 11:00 a.m. – The Canelazo Group will introduce the audience to Latin American culture at Wheaton Library through the fusion of rhythms from African, Spanish and indigenous roots.
Sept. 26, 2003 from 5:00 to 10:00 - The Baltimore National Aquarium is featuring a Hispanic Heritage Night at the Aquarium. Admission is $5
Monday, Sept. 27 at 7:00 - At the Warner Theater in NW,Washington, D.C., Placido Domingo, general director of the Washington National Opera, and Christine Sheppelmann, director of artistic operations, will be discussing the many complex aspects of planning an opera season and mounting a production. For tickets and information, call 202.357.3030 or visit here.
Wednesday, Sept. 29 at 12:00 - In honor of Hispanic heritage month, the National Air and Space Museum in the Jet Aviation Gallery is putting on a program that describes how certain aircrafts transformed aviation in Latin America.
Thursday, Sept. 30 from 6:30 to 8:00 - At the National Museum of American History, in the Carmichael Auditorium, there will be a program dedicated to the Supreme Court Case Méndez v.Westminster. This case led to the end of legally sanctioned school segregation in California and had a significant impact on Brown v. Board of Education. The program will begin with a discussion with a variety of speakers including one of the plantiffs, Sylvia Méndez. There will also be a screening of a documentary entitles 'Para Todos Los Niños' (For All the Children) and guided tours of the Smithsonian exhibition 'Separate Is Not Equal: Brown v. Board of Education.'
Thursday, Sept. 30 at 7:30 - at the National Museum of Natural History in the Baird Auditorium, Kepa Junkera, a Basque musician will be performing. She is famous in Spain and has performed with many different artists. The Smithsonian website calls her "a master of the trikitixa, the traditional diatonic accordion." For tickets and information, call 202.357.3030 or visit www.residentassociates.org.
Saturday, Oct. 2 – Beginning on this date at Aspen Hill Library there will be an Art Exhibit entitled "Earth and Heaven People" by Argentinean artist Felisa Federman. The exhibition is open to the public the full month of October during library open hours.
Saturday, Oct. 2 at 1:00 p.m. – Café y Caribe will perform a concert of Hispanic music at White Oak Library using guitar, cuatro, charango, conga, drums and other popular instruments of the region. All ages are welcome.
Oct. 3 at 11:00 - At the Library of Congress there will be a Hispanic Dance Festival: which will explore Latin American, Caribbean and Philippine Dance Traditions. Dance Lessons and a Lecture by Abdul Al-Ali, Professional Dance Instructor are both offered.
Thursday, Oct. 7 at 6:00 p.m. – The Twinbrook Library will be showing 'The Grandfather – El Abuelo' which was nominated for an academy awards in 1998 for Best Foreign Language film. The film is for adults and is not suitable for younger audience members.
Saturday, Oct. 9 at 11:30 a.m. - Tayrona, a Colombian Folkloric Group, will perform at Bethesda Library. The concert features original indigenous and contemporary dances and is accompanied by dialogue about Colombia's rich history. All ages are welcome.
Oct. 11 at 11:00 - The Library of Congress Hispanic Reading Room will be available to the public in its Open House in the Jefferson Building, Room LJ240 from eleven to three.
Thursday, Oct. 14 at 6:00 p.m. - At Twinbrook Library 'Los Repatriados: Exiles from the Promise Land' a documentary will be shown. This film is recommended for adults and is not suitable for younger audience members.
Oct. 14 – at 1:00 - There will be a Flamenco Program at the Library of congress sponsored by the American Folklife Center in the Mumford Room.
Wednesday, Oct. 13, through Friday, Oct. 15 at 10:00 and 11:30 - The Silver Spring Round House Theatre will be showing a comedic play written by nationally acclaimed children's author and storyteller Antonio Sacre. The play is recommended for ages 5 to 11. For tickets and information, call 202.357.1500 or visit www.discoverytheater.org. To get a better understanding of Latino contributions to American culture, check out this website.
The official site of Hispanic Magazine contains informative features which explores the rich Hispanic culture and history. The site also has contests and games to make for a more enjoyable learning experience.
For a long list with brief descriptions about Hispanic Americans who have made major contributions to society, visit here.
For more links to more in depth websites about Hispanic culture and accomplished latinos, visit the Montgomery County website.Events gathered from the Smithsonian Calendar and the MCPL website.