National Hispanic Heritage Month

National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 - October 15) offers an opportunity to enrich your course with the perspectives and contributions of Hispanic and Latino communities. To help you connect the contributions of history to your curriculum, we've gathered discipline-specific resources give you a start in adding Hispanic voices and essential contributions into your courses in September and October.

Social Sciences

Psychology: Include Dr. Martha Bernal, the first Latina to receive a Ph.D. in psychology, and discuss her work on ethnic identity and its importance in psychological research.

Sociology: Explore the contributions of Dr. Julia Lopez-Estrada, a sociologist who focuses on immigration and social inequality, highlighting her research in understanding Hispanic immigrant communities.

Comparative Politics: Compare and contrast the political systems of several Latin American countries, such as Mexico, Argentina, and Venezuela. Explore the political dynamics within these nations and how Hispanic political thought has influenced both domestic and international politics.

 

Humanities

History: While studying the U.S. Civil Rights Movement, incorporate lessons on the Chicano Movement, discussing its role in fighting for Hispanic civil rights and how it paralleled other movements of the era.

Philosophy: In a unit on existentialism, include the works of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, a 17th-century Mexican philosopher and writer, who tackled themes of gender, knowledge, and freedom.

Indigenous and Mestizo Thought: Examine the philosophical contributions of indigenous and mestizo traditions in Latin America, focusing on their concepts of community, land, and spirituality. Connect these ideas to contemporary philosophical debates on environmental ethics and the relationship between humans and nature.

 

STEM

Biology: During a unit on biodiversity, discuss the Amazon Rainforest and its significance, including conservation efforts led by Hispanic biologists like Adriana Ocampo, who advocates for planetary protection and biodiversity.

Environmental Science: When discussing climate change, focus on how it affects Hispanic agricultural communities, both in the U.S. and Latin America, bringing in case studies from countries like Mexico and Chile.

Engineering: Discuss the invention of color TV by Mexican engineer Guillermo González Camarena, and explore the impact of this innovation on technology and communication.

 

Business

Marketing: Ask students to analyze how major brands engage with Hispanic communities during Hispanic Heritage Month and develop their own campaign aimed at a diverse Hispanic market.

Hispanic Supply Chain Networks: Examine the role of Hispanic-owned businesses in the U.S. supply chain, focusing on sectors such as agriculture, food production, and manufacturing. Analyze how Hispanic entrepreneurs contribute to supply chain diversity and have students develop strategies to promote supplier diversity in a company's operations.

Hispanic Investor Trends: Explore the investment behaviors of Hispanic individuals, focusing on studies that reveal trends in homeownership, entrepreneurship, and savings. Students can examine how cultural values influence financial decision-making and propose ways to enhance financial inclusion in the Hispanic community.