¡Saludos!

The message below was shared to the MA community to create a shared language and a shared sense of pride for Latinx & Hispanic Heritage Month. We here at LA VOZ want to amplify that message.

Today begins Latinx & Hispanic Heritage Month, recognized and celebrated until October 15! Latinx & Hispanic Heritage Month honors the cultures and contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans as heritage rooted in all Latin American countries.

This video explains the difference between Latino, Latinx, and Hispanic. According to the most recent census, the number of Hispanic Americans who identify as multiracial grew from 3 million to 20.3 million! This video is a brief statistical snapshot of the power and impact of Afro-Latinos in the US.

The K-12 community will celebrate on September 24. Local Latinx lesgends Ten Tumbao return to campus as part of the program, which will also feature a guest speaker hosted by the Upper School Latinx Association.

Here are more resources if you would like to learn more about this month:

• A curated collection of articles and stories that explore the history of U.S. Hispanic and Latinx communities

• The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino website provides several digital resources that aim to advance the representation, understanding, and appreciation of Latino history and culture in the United States

• Nuestra América: Celebrating Influential Latinos in American History is an anthology that tells the stories of notable Latino figures

If you are interested in attending a local celebration event, here are some options:

• Fiesta en La Plaza | Sunday, Sept. 15 | 12 – 7 p.m. | City Hall Plaza

• Boston Public Library Programming | Monday, Sept.16-Thursday, Oct. 17 | Boston Public Library

• Latinx Heritage Night at the MFA | Thursday, Sept. 26 | 5-10 p.m. | The Museum of Fine Arts

• CineFest Latino Boston | Wednesday, Sept. 25 – Sunday, Sept, 29 | Locations vary | An annual film festival in Boston, highlighting stories by and about Latinos