In 1988, Congress passed a resolution that called on the people of the United States to observe National Hispanic Heritage Month — and authorized and requested the president to issue an annual proclamation designating the 31-day period between September 15 and October 15 as National Hispanic Heritage Month.

All U.S. presidents — from President George H.W. Bush on September 14, 1989, to President Donald Trump, on September 13, 2019 — have issued that proclamation.

Hispanics are defined as Spanish-surnamed Americans, and they are descended from the population in territory annexed by the United States in the 19th century (in present day states of Texas, California, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico), and from Latin Americans and Spaniards settled in the U.S. Today Hispanics are the largest minority, and aspects of Hispanic cultures have become part of mainstream American culture.

Twenty years ago, the University of Minnesota Libraries, actively and strategically began collecting videos of documentaries and feature films supporting research on the history and culture of Hispanics in the United States. The following is a small selection of titles in that collection, housed in the Smart Learning Commons on the second floor of Walter Library.

“Latino Americans” (2013)

A sample of our Hispanic films

• “The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez” (1982), directed by Robert M. Young
  Walter SLC PN1997 .B3553 2018
• “On Two Fronts: Latinos in Vietnam” (2015), directed by Mylene Moreno
  Walter SLC DS559.8 .H57 O5 2015
• “Latino Americans: The 500 Year Legacy that Shaped a Nation” (2013), directed by David Belton
  Walter SLC E184 .S75 L3856 2013
• “Harvest of Empire: The Untold Story of Latinos in America” (2012)
  Walter SLC E184 .S75 H37 2012
• “Latinos Beyond Reel: Challenging a Media Stereotype” (2012)
  Walter SLC PN1995.9 .H47 L38 2012
• “A Journey Across Our America: Observations and Reflections on the Latinoization of the US” (2010), by Louis Gerard Mendoza
  Walter SLC E184 .S75 J68 2010
• “The Longoria Affair” (2010), directed by John J. Valadez
  Walter SLC F395 .M5 L66 2010
• “A Class Apart: a Mexican American Civil Rights Story” (2009)
  Walter SLC F395 .M5 C53 2009
• “Chicano Rock!: The Sounds of Los Angeles”  (2009)
  Walter SLC ML394 .C45 2009
• “The Bronze Screen: 100 Years of the Latino Image in Hollywood Cinema” (2002)
  Walter SLC PN1995.9 .B76 2007
• “Zoot Suit” (1981), directed by Peter Burrell
  Walter SLC PN1997 .Z66 2003
• “Born in East L.A.” (1987)
  Walter SLC PN1997 .B67 2002
• “Selena” (1997), directed by Gregory Nova
  Walter SLC PN1997 .S46 1997
• “Richard Rodriguez: Victim of Two Cultures” (1994)
  Walter SLC LC2670 .R55x 1994
• “Minnesotanos Mexicanos” (1978) [VHS] Walter SLC F615 .M5 1978

Prepared by Rafael E. Tarrago, Librarian for Chicano/Latino Studies