Hispanic Heritage Month – Recognizing and Celebrating Hispanic Culture

As we close out Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 through October 15), we continue to recognize the achievements made by Hispanics.  Those achievements include Rita Moreno, the first Hispanic actress to win an Oscar for her role in West Side Story; their participation in military wars, such as World War I and II; Justice Sonya Sotomayor becoming the first Hispanic on the Supreme Court; Cesar Chavez and his farm workers strike; Ellen Ochoa becoming the first Hispanic to fly in space.

Another area we should recognize is the rise of Hispanic Heritage artistic themes and communities in the US.  In the series, Photographs Documenting the Secretary’s Headquarters and Field Activities, and Agency Officials and Events, 2001-2014 from RG 207: General Records of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, there is file entitled 207-DP-8922P – Hispanic Heritage Select Photos (NAID 6190393) containing 41 selected digital photographs of assorted communities accenting Hispanic Heritage theme: residents, neighborhoods, buildings, and murals.  The photos were created by David Valdez.  The photographs are fully digitized and made available via our online catalog with no copyright restrictions.  The titles have all the same name as the file “Hispanic Heritage Select Photos”.