Hispanic Heritage

Hispanic Heritage and Spanish Language Series - all in one place!

September 15 - October 15

Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated from September 15 to October 15 to promote the history, culture, and contributions of Hispanic-Americans.

Several Latin American independence days are celebrated during this time, including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua, Mexico and Chile. However, the celebration originated in September 1968, when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed an executive order for the creation of Hispanic Heritage Week. In 1988, the observance was extended to a month by President Ronald Reagan. 

Check out our growing Spanish Translations collection.

 

Within this Collection

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Cinco de Mayo

Collections

Title:
The Rumba, Cuba and the Congas | Periscope
The Rumba, Cuba and the Congas | Periscope
Episode 41

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

During the 1920s, the sound of "rumba" music took over Cuba. Rumba was great to dance to, as it was played with many types of percussion instruments. The congas stood out as rumba's major percussion...
Dizzy Gillespie | Periscope
Dizzy Gillespie | Periscope
Episode 40

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5

South Carolina played a big part in the creation of Latin Jazz! From Sabor, we learned that Latin jazz music has roots right here in South Carolina. Dizzy Gillespie, a famous jazz trumpet player from...
Campana | Periscope
Campana | Periscope
Episode 39

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Campana: A cowbell used in Cuban music. It is sometimes attached to another instrument called the "timbales."
Claves | Periscope
Claves | Periscope
Episode 38

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Claves: Two sticks used to make a simple rhythm in Cuban music such as rumba. It is used in many other forms of Latin American music as well.
Timbales | Periscope
Timbales | Periscope
Episode 37

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Timbales: A set of tuneable metal drums invented in Cuba. They are often accompanied by campana.
Guiro | Periscope
Guiro | Periscope
Episode 36

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Guiro: A scraper sometimes used in Latin jazz. The Cuban and Puerto Rican form is made from a notched gourd and played with a stick.
Congas | Periscope
Congas | Periscope
Episode 35

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Congas: Drums played with the hands and often used in salsa and rumba music. Congas play a major role in Latin jazz bands.
Bongos & Concerro | Periscope
Bongos & Concerro | Periscope
Episode 34

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Bongos: Two small drums played between the knees, often used in Afro-Cuban music. The "Bongocero" is the name for a bongo player. Cencerro: A cowbell played by the "Bongocero," or bongo player. It can...
First of All, What Is Jazz? | Periscope
First of All, What Is Jazz? | Periscope
Episode 33

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Jazz music originated in the United States. It was created by African Americans in the early 1900s. The sound of jazz was influenced by West African rhythms and music, and American folk music. A...
So Now, Let's Eat! | Periscope
So Now, Let's Eat! | Periscope
Episode 32

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

What would you make with all of these foods? Try having a Hispanic feast at your school that uses a few, or all, of these Latin American foods.
Chili Peppers | Periscope
Chili Peppers | Periscope
Episode 30

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

The chili pepper is used to flavor many Hispanic dishes. It was originally grown in South America, and it too was brought to Europe by Spanish explorers. From Europe, the chili found its way into...
Black Beans Are Native to Latin America | Periscope
Black Beans Are Native to Latin America | Periscope
Episode 29

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Black beans are native to Latin America. Fifty-percent of the beans eaten in the Latin American country of Cuba are black beans. In Cuba a meal of black beans and rice, or "frijoles negros con arroz,"...
Beans | Periscope
Beans | Periscope
Episode 28

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

People in Central and South America have grown and eaten many kinds of beans for thousands of years. Ancient cultures such as the Inca ate beans as a major part of their diet. During the 1500s...
Chocolate | Periscope
Chocolate | Periscope
Episode 25

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Chocolate is one of the best-loved sweets in the world. It is made from the fruit of the cacao tree, a species native to Central and South America. The Aztec Indians of Mexico used the cacao beans to...
Plantains | Periscope
Plantains | Periscope
Episode 23

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

A plantain looks like a large banana. It is a popular food in Central America and the Caribbean. Plantains can be eaten either green or ripe, but either way, they have to be cooked. When they are...
Tapas or Chuno | Periscope
Tapas or Chuno | Periscope
Episode 22

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

In Spain, potatoes are often served in "tapas" (tah-pas), or small snacks. People in the Andes Mountains often eat "chuno," a potato that has been dried out so that it does not go bad. Chuno is one of...
The Incas | Periscope
The Incas | Periscope
Episode 21

Photo

Grades: 9 10 11 12

The Incas, a Native American culture living in the Andes, developed wild potatoes into the kind of potato we eat today. The Spanish explorers brought these potatoes back with them to Spain in the...
Potatoes Are Actually from South America | Periscope
Potatoes Are Actually from South America | Periscope
Episode 20

Photo

Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Though many people think the potato is from Ireland, it is actually from South America. Wild potatoes can be found in the Andes Mountains. The Andes are in the Hispanic countries of Peru, Ecuador and...