With Hispanic Heritage month coming to a close, there are many things to do to celebrate and honor the Latinx community. Here are five activities that many participate in during the month’s celebration period, September 15 through October 15, and beyond to show their support.
- Support Local Latinx Restaurants or Take A Cooking Class
Food is a way to show and spread love in the Latinx culture. From local panaderias (bakeries) to many types of national cuisine-serving restaurants there are plenty of unique foods to try. For example, you may want to try arepas, empanadas, and more.
These small restaurants are usually family-owned and are always happy to show their love through the food they offer.
Another food related activity is participating in a Latinx cooking class. You will be able to make a delicious dish while gaining knowledge about the history and skills necessary to make Latinx cultural dishes.
- Visit A Latinx Museum
If you live in or close to a major city there is a great chance that you will find a Latinx museum. These museums cover topics from Hispanic art, history, and public figures. They not only help you explore Latinx culture but also display creative works that tell many stories.
The best resource to use to find a museum near you is the Library of Congress’ Hispanic Heritage Month Selected Exhibits and Collections web page located here.
Now of course, there is an alternative if you don’t have a physical museum in your area. That answer is taking a virtual tour. There are many places that offer in depth and very vivid virtual tours that showcase Latinx history in different aspects.
A few examples include…
- MOLAA – Museum of Latin American Art (Virtual 360 Tour)
- Hispanic and Latiex Legacy Museum (Microsoft)
- The Mexican Museum (Virtual Tour)
- Have a Latinx Movie/TV Night
Given all the resources provided by the internet, there are plenty of free streaming sites where you can find Latinx movies and tv shows. All you need is a couple of hours, a few friends and some great (possibly Latinx) snacks and you will be set to learn some new things!
Netflix, Hulu, and Youtube are the best places to watch these movies or shows with subtitles.
Plus, a bonus would be taking in a new foreign language that you could decide to study later on.
- Learn A New Language
As mentioned above, watching Latinx shows can help you access a new language. There are many free sites and applications that can help you begin a new journey in learning another language.
Taking some time out of your day to learn a new Latinx language such as Spanish or Portuguese, will immerse you into the culture and help you view it from a different perspective.
All it takes is 10 to 15 minutes a day and you can learn so many different words and phrases that might help you if one day you decide to travel abroad to a Latinx country.
- Donate to Latinx Charities
Many organizations uphold the values of the Latinx community and aid in its unity. Here are a few that you can consider to help.
- United We Dream – This network fights for two core values of immigrants dignity and respect.
- RACIES – This non profit provides affordable legal services for immigrants and refugees.
- Voto Latino – This political organization is helping to create and inform a new generation of Latinx voters.
The funds provided to these charities and others really help members of the Latinx communities obtain justice and allow their voices to be heard.
Remember that these are just a few ways that you can help support the Latinx community during Hispanic Heritage month and beyond. Doing just one of these things is a step towards a positive future!