Please join me in celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month which begins Sep. 15th and continues until Oct. 15th.
The start date, Sep. 15th, is significant because on Sep. 15, 1821, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Nicaragua gained independence from the Spanish; the monthlong celebration also encompasses the independence days of Mexico (Sep. 16, 1810), Chile (Sep. 18, 1810), and Belize (Sep. 21, 1981). Source: History.com
In 1821, the news of independence was relayed by riders on horseback, taking a month to reach Costa Rica from Guatemala, an event still marked by an annual torch relay that concludes in Costa Rica on September 15th.
Here’s the official hub for a wide array of resources (see highlights on home page and menu across top): https://www.hispanicheritagemonth.gov/
Since Latinx Americans have long enriched our RVA community, you’ll find many local ways to celebrate:
- area Hispanic Heritage Month events featured by ABC-8 News
- events and programs at the VMFA
- Viva RVA! Hispanic Music Festival at Diversity Thrift on Oct. 1
- Entre Puerto Rico y Richmond: Women in Resistance Shall Not Be Moved, Film Screening and Panel Discussion – Libbie Mill Library, Oct. 6
- ¡Virginia Fiesta! At the Science Museum on Oct. 15
- Restaurante Week sponsored by the Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce: Oct. 10-16
The MLWGS Library has relevant books, movies, and CD’s. In addition to titles highlighted in the photo below, you’ll find more fiction, as well as poetry, and nonfiction about Latinx history on the displays closer to Ms. DeGroat’s office.
MLWGS Library 