American Latino Museum

08/31/2026

Friends of the National Museum of the American Latino applauds today’s historic decision by the Board of Regents to make the Arts and Industries Building the permanent home of the Latino museum.

This is a testament to all of those who fought for decades to make this museum possible. Today we are one step closer to making that a reality.

While this decision is long overdue, it is deeply welcome, and brings us closer to a museum that tells a fuller story of America and the Latino communities that have helped shape it.

08/31/2026

More than 400 students shared their stories through this year’s Raíces essay contest.

They wrote about their families, their heritage, their communities, and what being Latino means to them.

Thank you to every student who took the time to share a piece of themselves with us. These stories are part of our history, and we’re proud to help make sure they’re heard and celebrated.

¡Gracias por compartir sus voces!

08/27/2026

On Lyndon B. Johnson’s birthday, a little-known chapter of Latino history is worth remembering.

In 1968, President Johnson signed the law establishing National Hispanic Heritage Week, the first official federal observance dedicated to recognizing the histories, cultures, and contributions of Hispanic Americans. Twenty years later, that week would be expanded into the Hispanic Heritage Month we celebrate today.

It was also during Johnson’s presidency that the Voting Rights Act became law, giving Latino civil rights advocates a powerful tool in the fight for equal access to the ballot.

More than half a century later, that work continues: ensuring Latino history is recognized for what it is: American history.

Photo: Dr. Héctor P. García (left), President Lyndon B. Johnson, and American GI Forum chairmen Augustin Flores and Corky Gonzales outside the White House. Courtesy of the Dr. Héctor P. García Papers, Special Collections & Archives, Mary and Jeff Bell Library, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi.

08/26/2026

Women’s Equality Day marks the certification of the 19th Amendment in 1920, a major milestone in the fight for women’s voting rights. But for many women, especially women of color, equal access to the ballot remained out of reach for decades.

Latinas have long been part of the fight for equality in America.

Journalist Jovita Idar spoke out against discrimination and advocated for Mexican American civil rights and women’s suffrage. Labor leader Dolores Huerta organized workers and helped build a national movement for economic and political power. Sylvia Mendez and her family challenged school segregation in California in the landmark Mendez v. Westminster case. Felisa Rincón de Gautier broke barriers as the first woman elected mayor of San Juan.

Their stories each helped expand opportunity and equality for the generations that followed.

This , we honor the Latina leaders who helped move our country forward and recognize their place in our shared history.

Latino history is American history.



Photo sources: Jovita Idar, UTSA Libraries Special Collections / Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum; Dolores Huerta, Los Angeles Philharmonic; Sylvia Mendez, Sylvia Mendez Elementary School; Felisa Rincón de Gautier, Municipio de San Juan / Museo Felisa Rincón de Gautier via National Women’s History Museum.

08/20/2026

It’s National Latina Day!

Today, we’re celebrating four Latinas who have made their mark in very different corners of American life, from Hollywood and the boardroom to outer space and the cockpit.

Selena Gomez🇲🇽🇺🇸
Selena Gomez has grown from actress and musician into a major entrepreneur. She founded Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez in 2020, growing it into a billion-dollar brand with nearly $370 million in annual revenue by 2023. The company also puts mental health at the center of its mission, dedicating 1% of annual sales to the Rare Impact Fund.

Nina Vaca 🇪🇨🇺🇸
Nina Vaca started Pinnacle Group in 1996 as a one-woman IT staffing business. Nearly three decades later, the company has grown into the largest Hispanic-owned workforce solutions company in North America.

Dr. Adriana Ocampo  🇨🇴🇺🇸
Dr. Adriana Ocampo began volunteering at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory as a teenager and went on to become a planetary geologist. Her research helped scientists understand Mexico’s Chicxulub crater, created by the asteroid impact linked to the extinction of the dinosaurs.

Lt. Col. Olga E. Custodio 🇵🇷🇺🇸
Olga Custodio made history as the first Latina to complete U.S. Air Force military pilot training and become a U.S. military pilot. She later took that trailblazing career into commercial aviation, becoming an airline captain.

On National Latina Day, we celebrate their stories and the countless others that belong in our national story.

Latinas are helping power the American economy, define American culture, expand the boundaries of American innovation and shape our shared future.

Latina history is American history. 🇺🇸

📸 Photo credits:
Selena Gomez: Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez
Nina Vaca: Forbes
Dr. Adriana Ocampo: NASA/Aubrey Gemignani
Lt. Col. Olga E. Custodio: United States Air Force

BuildItOnTheMall

08/18/2026

Save the date!

The Friends of the National Museum of the American Latino is proud to join Embassy of Spain in the U.S., Hispanic Heritage Foundation, and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus for ‘Language, Legacy, and Leadership in Spanish: A Success Story in the Americas,’ a celebration of the Spanish language and its enduring influence on the history, culture, and future of the Americas.

📅 Monday, September 21, 2026
📍 El Museo del Barrio | New York City

We look forward to coming together for this special celebration!



This event is not affiliated in any way with the Smithsonian Institution or the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Latino Museum.

08/17/2026

in 1988, National Hispanic Heritage Month officially became U.S. law.

On August 17, President Ronald Reagan signed legislation expanding what had been Hispanic Heritage Week into a month-long national observance, creating the celebration we recognize each year from September 15 through October 15.

The month honors the generations of Latinos who have helped shape the United States, from our nation’s earliest history to the leaders, workers, service members, artists, entrepreneurs and communities continuing to shape its future.

Nearly four decades later, Hispanic Heritage Month remains an important reminder that Latino contributions are not separate from the American story. They are woven throughout it.

Latino history is American history. 🇺🇸



Photo: President Regan signing legislation
Source: Hispanic Heritage Foundation

08/14/2026

in 1927, delegates from Hispanic organizations across Texas gathered in Harlingen to discuss how they could unite to advocate for the rights and opportunities of Mexican Americans.

That meeting helped lay the groundwork for what would become the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), founded in 1929 and today the nation’s oldest surviving Latino civil rights organization.

For nearly a century, LULAC has fought to expand educational opportunity, protect voting rights, combat discrimination, and advance the civil rights of Latino communities across the country.

Latino history is American history. 🇺🇸



Photo source: LULAC

08/12/2026

08/07/2026

⏳ ONE WEEK LEFT!

The countdown is on! Just 7 days remain to enter the Raíces Essay Contest.

Students have until August 15 to share their stories, perspectives, and reflections on Latino heritage, identity, and the roots that shape who we are.

Raíces is an opportunity for the next generation to make their voices heard and celebrate the stories that are part of our shared American history.

📅 Deadline: August 15, 2026
🔗 Enter today at the link in bio!