September Family Day Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month

Hispanic Heritage Month begins on September 15^th. Here at the Library of Congress, the Informal Learning Office (ILO) starts the celebrations a day early with its latest monthly, in-person family program on Saturday, September 14^th.

If you’re in the area, stop by the Thomas Jefferson Building and join us! Activities during the drop-in program (10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.) are designed for kids and their families, but all ages are welcome. The event is free of charge; however, you will need to obtain free building passes. A limited number of walk-up tickets are available on the day, but registering in advance is the best way to guarantee entry at your preferred time. Request ADA accommodations five business days in advance at 202-707-6363 or by emailing [email protected].

An illustrated page from a 16th century book about the people of central Mexico. — A page from Historia general de las cosas de nueva España (General history of the things of New Spain), also known as the Florentine Codex. This encyclopedic work about the people and culture of central Mexico was compiled by Fray Bernardino de Sahagún (1499–1590), a Franciscan missionary who arrived in Mexico in 1529.

We’re offering two hands-on activities this Family Day. You can create your own mini book inspired by Latin American cartoneras, handcrafted and decorated books made from salvaged and recyclable materials. If you can’t be with us on the day, this blog post includes directions for how to make a cartonera at home. Find more inspiration for your own handmade book in this short video about the Library’s Ediciones Vigía Collection, featuring former U.S. Poet Laureate Juan Felipe Herrara. Watch from minute 4:00 to see just how elaborate and creative some of these Cuban examples are.

As a communal activity, we’re creating a version of Otra piel para otra entraña/Another Skin for my Insides, described as a “one-of-a-kind” performative work of poetry. The dress is currently on view in the Library’s Collecting Memories exhibition, so after you’ve added your contribution to the Family Day version, you can see the original garment on display. Read all about the creation of the Otra Piel dress in this blog post, which includes the video below of the dress worn in the beautiful setting of the Hispanic Reading Room.

We’re excited that colleagues from the Hispanic Reading Room and Latin American Acquisitions will be joining us for Family Day. They’ll be highlighting a range of materials from the Library’s extensive collections, sharing their expertise, and talking about the work that they do. Several examples of handmade books will be on display, showing the various styles developed in different parts of Latin America. Staff experts will also explain how such books became a cost-effective way for writers to publish their work and for communities and institutions to provide reading materials in challenging economic times.

A view of Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. — A mid-20th century view of Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Library of Congress Office in Rio de Janeiro opened in 1996. It collects a variety of materials from the South American countries of Brazil, Uruguay, Suriname, Guyana and the French Overseas Department of Guiana.

Additional Resources:

Established in 1939, the Hispanic Reading Room was the first of the Area Studies reading rooms at the Library. The wealth of available resources include:

49 Research Guides on the geographical areas and indigenous cultures of Latin America, the Caribbean, the Iberian Peninsula and beyond.
The PALABRA Archive, one of the highlights of the Hispanic Reading Room’s digital collections. The archive includes hundreds of recordings of authors reading their works in many different languages. Information about new additions is available in English and Spanish.
The Jay I. Kislak Collection of the Archaeology and History of the Early Americas. This collection spans 4000 years and includes artifacts and documents in several European and indigenous languages.

Portinari, Cândido, Artist, Miller, Shawn M, photographer. Mural in the Hispanic Division Reading Room, Thomas Jefferson Building. Washington D.C. District of Columbia Washington D.C. United States, 2019.

StoryMaps are a visually compelling and absorbing way to explore Library collections through multimedia, narrative, and interactive maps. These are just a few of the StoryMaps that feature Hispanic collections:

Self-Publishing from Brazil’s Margins: Literatura de Cordel explores another kind of DIY book from north-eastern Brazil. See examples owned by the Library in this video of Juan Felipe Herrara exploring the collections.
The entrance to the Hispanic Reading Room is decorated by four stunning murals by Brazilian artist Cândido Portinari in 1941. If These Walls Could Talk explains the meaning of each one and tells the story behind their creation.
The rise and fall of the Aztecs is the subject of Stolen: An Indigenous Messenger’s Own Account of the Aztec Conquest. A Spanish language version, Reencuentros, is also available.
Hidden Voices of Yucatán outlines the history and culture of this region.
Prickly Pear Blood: The Mesoamerican Red Colorant Cochineal, created by one of the Library’s conservators, tells the fascinating tale of this substance and how it was used in 16^th century manuscripts in the Library’s collections.

Man balancing soccer ball on his head. — Cypriano, André, photographer. Bola Sobre a Cabeça. Rio De Janeiro Brazil, 2011. Prints and Photograph Division.

Library blog posts dig deep into different Hispanic collections:

Brazilian soccer player and international superstar Pelé is the subject of two posts, one about his influence on the game, and another featuring an interview he gave in 1993.
Ada Limon is the Library’s current Poet Laureate. Her new project features poetry installations in national parks across the country.
An entertaining post about the Aztec legend of Popocatepetl and Iztaccíhuatl shows how Hispanic collections are housed across the Library.
The 1819 Battle of Boyacá, won by Simón Bolívar and his troops, was one of the most significant military actions in South American history.

Specially for kids:

Find out about the work of Meg Medina, the Library’s current Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, in this research guide available in Spanish and English.
Read The Technicolor Adventures of Catalina Neon, a bilingual illustrated poem created by Juan Felipe Hererra and artist Juana Medina, with input from students, teachers and school librarians from around the country.
The Nahautl-speaking people of Mesoamerica were fans of a foodstuff called xocolatl long before they introduced it to the Spanish in the 1500s. Renamed chocolate, it became a huge hit in Europe and beyond. This blog post has the full story and tells you how to make a spicy cup of xocolatl.
The bilingual El Juego de Lotería post describes the game’s role in Mexican culture and provides ideas for making your own version.

An image showing a family at home in 19th century Colombia. — Colombia. Comisión Corográfica Sponsor, and Manuel María Paz. The Interior of a Home on the Beach at Boquerones, Province of Barbacoas. Nariño Colombia, 1853. This is one of a series of images documenting life in Colombia in the mid-19th century.

We hope to see as many of you as possible in person on September 14^th! Whether you can join us or not, we hope this small sample of the amazing Hispanic collections at the Library inspires you to explore further, to use resources at home, and to share them with others.

Add a Comment Cancel reply