National Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated September 15 to October 15th to honor the cultures and contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans. Rohrbach Library has e-books, video series, and films to help you celebrate!
The Latino Generation: Voices of the New America (E-Book)
Notable Latino Writers (E-Book) – “Biographical essays on 120 authors who are US residents of Latin descent or Latin American authors.”
Notable Latino Americans: A Biographical Dictionary (E-Book)
Latino Americans: the 500-Year Legacy that Shaped a Nation (Film) – “Survey the history and people from 1565-1880, as the first Spanish explorers enter North America, the U.S. expands into territories in the Southwest that had been home to Native Americans and English and Spanish colonies, and as the Mexican-American War strips Mexico of half its territories by 1848.”
American Masters. Pedro E. Guerrero: A Photographer’s Journey (Film) – “The American Masters series and Latino Public Broadcasting’s VOCES series join forces for the first time to explore the life and work of photographer Pedro E. Guerrero (September 5, 1917 – September 13, 2012), a Mexican American, born and raised in segregated Mesa, Arizona, who had an extraordinary international photography career.”
The Latino List. Volume 1 (Film) – “HBO presents a unique glimpse into the vibrant and burgeoning culture of Hispanic America through a series of highly personal video portraits of Latinos who have richly contributed to the fabric of contemporary society. Funny, poignant and irreverent, The Latino List illuminates the Latino experience today, at a time when the Latino population in the US is booming. The Latino List: Volume 1 spotlights a diverse range of notables from music, science, journalism, theater, politics, business, and government. In intimate interviews with NPR correspondent Maria Hinojosa, these prominent Hispanic Americans discuss such subjects as the childhood inspirations that fueled their ambitions, how they achieved success, the evolving American cultural landscape they helped mold, the importance of preserving a distinct cultural identity for future generations to embrace, and the challenges of discrimination. The subjects share stories of growing up Latino in America, how their backgrounds shaped their philosophies and their feelings on a society where new opportunities abound, but challenges still exist. Hailing from a variety of backgrounds, including Cuban, Colombian, Honduran, Mexican, Puerto Rican, and more, each interviewee has a unique perspective on his or her American success story.”
The Latino List. Volume 2 (Film) – “The Latino List: Volume 2 features interviews with an extraordinary cross-section of Hispanic Americans who represent a variety of professions, disciplines, and backgrounds, each speaking to the unique struggles and triumphs he or she has faced. The film consists of intimate first-person vignettes, with each subject speaking simply and directly into the camera about a number of topics–from the hot-button issue of immigration to childhood inspirations that fueled their ambitions, to the evolving American cultural landscape they helped mold, to the importance of preserving a distinct cultural identity for future generations. Volume 2 features activist Dolores Huerta, journalist Soledad O’Brian, NY Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz, model and humanitarian Christy Turlington, actors George Lopez and Judy Reyese, former Telemundo president of entertainment Nely Galan, Univision network president Cesar Conde, and political figures like Raul Yzaguirre, the US Ambassador to the Dominican Republic. From sharing stories from their childhoods to talking about life-changing moments in their professional and personal lives, each of these individuals shares what it means to be Latino in America.”
Hispanic Americans Second Generation (Film) – “Hosted by actor Jimmy Smits, this program examines how second-generation Hispanics are adapting to American society, and how they are maintaining their Latino roots while assimilating into the American cultural mainstream. A variety of famous and everyday Hispanic Americans are interviewed, including pop film director Richard Rodriquez. Hispanics from doctors and police officers to comedians, fashion designers, and rock stars discuss the continuing role of family, and the ongoing battles with ethnic stereotyping.”
