Top of page

Category: Hispanic and Latino

Movie poster for "El Norte," with an illustration of young man and woman at bottom, framed by a silhouette of a bird opening its wings into a blue sky overhead

Finding Latinos in Film

Posted by: Maria Peña

In his epic “El Norte,” award-winning filmmaker Gregory Nava charted the tragic journey of siblings Enrique and Rosa from Guatemala to Los Angeles in pursuit of the American dream. The 1983 film was inducted into the Library's National Film Registry in 1995 and still resonate in this Hispanic Heritage Month, two decades into a new century. It's one of the highlights of the Library's work in preserving Latino films.

Posted in: Film, Hispanic American History, Hispanic and Latino, LCM, Library Work and Employees, National Audio-Visual Conservation Center, National Film Registry, Performing Arts

Broadside shows a male skeleton dressed in a charro outfit wielding a machete in a graveyard, apparently in the process of creating more skeletons – a crowd of skeletons surround him and skulls lie at his feet. The text block is decorated with four small skulls.

José Guadalupe Posada’s Lively Calaveras and Enduring Legacy

Posted by: Maria Peña

Mexican printmaker José Guadalupe Posada, considered Mexico's most influential graphic artist, helped popularize the calavera as a satirical graphic motif, often printed with rhyming ballads or corridos. After Posada's death in 1913, the calaveras became closely associated with the "Día de los Muertos," a holiday in November to honor and remember deceased loved ones. The Library of Congress has one of the largest collections of his work in the U.S. and is a major resource for understanding Mexican culture.

Posted in: Halloween, Hispanic and Latino, Hispanic Division

Color photo of a man and woman ballroom dancing on an open patio.

Dancing the Danzón: Hispanic Heritage Month

Posted by: Maria Peña

Born in 19th-century Cuban dance halls, danzón eventually became the country’s official national dance. Influenced by African and European music and dance traditions, it continues to thrive outside the big island’s borders, in Mexico and beyond, in orchestra halls and dance salons, leaving an indelible mark on Latin American culture. It’s a genre all its own and a lovely bit of romance to remember during Hispanic Heritage Month here in the U.S. The Library has plenty of music, films and books to help you explore its rich history.

Posted in: Audiovisual, Film, Hispanic American History, Hispanic and Latino, Hispanic Division, Music, National Audio-Visual Conservation Center, Performing Arts