SPECIAL EDITION: Why we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

September 27, 2022
by RJ Hamster

The United States has formally honored Hispanic heritage for more than 50 years—but people with Hispanic descent have influenced American history and culture for centuries. Learn why this heritage month begins in the middle of the month; the complicated history of the terms “Hispanic,” “Latino,” and more; and how people are reclaiming their histories and their identities.

PHOTOGRAPH BY JODI COBB, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

Everything you need to know about Hispanic Heritage Month

From exploring the Western frontier on horseback to developing an early color transmission system for televisions, people of Hispanic descent have been helping to shape the history of the United States since centuries before the Declaration of Independence was ever signed.

WHAT YOU DIDN’T KNOW

PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHRISTIE’S IMAGES/BRIDGEMAN IMAGES (LEFT), BRIDGEMAN IMAGES (RIGHT)

‘Hispanic’? ‘Latino’? Here’s where the terms come from

To say that the history of how we use “Hispanic” and “Latino” is complicated is an understatement—the terms are both connected to controversy and confusion. Here’s how they came to be, what they refer to, and why many with historic ties to the places Spain and Portugal once colonized say they don’t apply to them.

TERMS WITH ANCIENT ORIGINS

What “Latino” means, more than anything, is that you are part of a story that links you to other people with roots in a southern place. … More than likely this story involves the journey a migrant made in search of work and opportunity.

Héctor Tobar, writer
How Latinos are shaping America’s future

National Geographic celebrates Hispanic and Latin American cultures. Explore our culture hub ››

DEA/ALBUM

The victorious origins—and complex legacy—of Cinco de Mayo

Parades, brightly colored dresses, sizzling street food, festive music, and laughter fills the streets every May 5. On that day in 1862, a ragtag Mexican army defeated the better-equipped hosts of the Second French Empire at the Battle of Puebla. The battle itself did not decide the war—but the victory strengthened the morale of a very young Mexico and became the rallying cry of resistance to foreign domination.

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PUERTO RICO: The century-old battle over autonomy and full citizenship, explained +

PHOTOGRAPH BY NATALIE KEYSSAR

These women are keeping Mexican traditions alive

Escaramuzas in California ride sidesaddle, kick up dust, and channel the bravery and horsemanship of Mexican revolutionary heroes.

RODEO HEROES

PHOTOGRAPH BY HARUKA SAKAGUCHI

Meet the survivors of a ‘paper genocide’

A leader of the indigenous Caribbeans known as the Taíno describes how his people’s history was erased—and what they’re doing to get it back.

‘I AM TAINO’

PHOTOGRAPH BY LUISA DÖRR

These Bolivian skateboarders are making a statement with their ancestral clothing

The voluminous, traditional skirts—called polleras—worn by Indigenous Aymara and Quechua women are a symbol of identity in the Bolivian countryside, but have also been the object of discrimination. Now a group of women athletes has brought them back to the city to celebrate the cultural heritage of the cholitas.

SEE MORE PHOTOS

PHOTOGRAPH BY KARLA ORTEGA

‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ PODCAST EPISODE‌ ‌ ‌

Inside the Cave of the Jaguar God

Crawl into the Maya underworld, where science meets spirits, shamans, and snakes. A long-forgotten cave could shed light on one of history’s most enduring questions: why did the ancient Maya collapse?

LISTEN

PHOTOGRAPH BY KEYSTONE VIEW COMPANY

‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ PODCAST EPISODE‌ ‌ ‌

The Aztecs: From empire to A.I.

500 years after the fall of Tenochtitlan, Aztec culture endures, thanks to its descendants, protectors, and centuries-old documents that are moving the Aztec language and lore into the age of AI.

LISTEN

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RJ Hamster

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SPECIAL EDITION: Why we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

SPECIAL EDITION: Why we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

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