National Hispanic & Latine Heritage Month is here! If you know Hispanic/Latine folks or are one yourself, then you know we take great pride in our diverse culture and traditions. There was a time when our ancestors could not practice their customs due to colonization, but they fought back and gained their independence, even after centuries of oppression and exploitation by the Spanish.
For me, Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to acknowledge the effects of colonization on our people–like mestizaje & losing our ancestral languages–and celebrating anyway. Not because we're ignoring the harm of the past, but because we are reclaiming our cultural inheritance. Our music, our food, our dances are all born from the resistance of those who came before.
- Use my YouTube playlist to take a virtual tour of spanish speaking countries. For every country, I’ve included two videos. One highlights beautiful landmarks and breathtaking landscapes. The other features that nation’s traditional folk dance. Each video is 5-10 minutes long, but you can focus on one country per day and include some of the other suggestions below.
- Color in each nation you learn about on this spanish-speaking countries map.
- Dive deeper and learn the history of Latin American countries before European contact. Learn about the Indigenous peoples, when and how they gained independence, and study those who began anti-colonial movements in each country.
- Do a research project on a notable Hispanic American
- Make one of these Hispanic inspired crafts
- Try one or more of these recipes from spanish-speaking countries
- Watch one or more of these movies featuring Hispanic/Latine actors
- Use my printable Fiesta bulletin board pack to decorate your learning space. Free to download for a limited time
As a Mexican homeschooling mom, I encourage you to partake in Hispanic Heritage Month activities with your children. You don’t have to be Latine/Hispanic or even speak spanish to celebrate our cultura. Hispanic Heritage month is the perfect opportunity to go beyond sombrero and margaritas, and see us beyond the stereotypes.