Hispanic History

America’s Hispanic and Latino history is rich, diverse and long, with immigrants, refugees and Spanish-speaking or Indigenous people living in the United States since long before the nation was established. From early Spanish colonialism to civil and worker rights laws to famous firsts, explore notable figures and events in Hispanic history.

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HISTORY: Hispanic Heritage Month

James Garrett/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images

HISTORY: Hispanic Heritage Month

James Garrett/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images

Featured Overview

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Hispanic/Latinx History Milestones: Timeline

Hispanic History Milestones: Timeline

From early Spanish colonialism to civil and worker rights laws to famous firsts to Supreme Court decisions on immigration, see a timeline of notable events in U.S Hispanic and Latinx history.

A 1960s-era TV set on legs is shown between a potted plant and red footstool.

7 Groundbreaking Inventions by Latino Innovators

From entertainment devices to lifesaving medical technologies, Latino inventors have advanced humankind through their contributions.

History of the Chicano Movement

How the Chicano Movement Championed Mexican-American Identity and Fought for Change

Chicano activists took on a name that had long been a racial slur—and wore it with pride.

Latino, Hispanic, Latinx, Chicano: The History Behind the Terms

Latino, Hispanic, Latinx, Chicano: The History Behind the Terms

The effort to coin a term to describe a wildly diverse group of Americans has long stirred controversy.

Puerto Rico

Here's Why Puerto Rico Is Part of the U.S. - Sort Of

Learn about Puerto Rico's complex history, starting with its Spanish rule to becoming a U.S. territory. See how its eventual commonwealth status, the 2006 recession, and 2017's Hurricane Maria have caused political and economic upheaval.

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3 Trailblazing Hispanic and Latino Activists

Willie Velasquez

Willie Velásquez

As founder of the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project, Velásquez organized for Latino voting rights and was known for his rallying cry "Su voto es su voz" ("Your vote is your voice").

Dolores Huerta

Along with Cesar Chavez, Huerta co-founded the United Farm Workers and has spent decades fighting for economic justice for farmworkers and laborers.

Reies Lopez Tijerina

Reies López Tijerina

Known as “the Malcolm X of the Chicano Movement,” Tijerina led efforts to reclaim land in New Mexico confiscated by white settlers in violation of the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.

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Hispanic History
United Farm Workers co-founders Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez sit together under portraits of Robert Kennedy and Mahatma Gandhi.

How Dolores Huerta Became an Icon of the Labor Movement

Together with Cesar Chavez, she spotlighted the ongoing civil and human rights struggles of farm workers.

Miami Beach, City Hall, bilingual 'vote here' sign

6 Groups That Advanced Latino Voting Rights

From registering voters to battling suppression, these organizations have helped grow and empower America's Latino electorate.

Willie Velasquez

How Willie Velásquez Organized for Latino Voting Rights

He became especially known for his rallying cry, 'Su voto es su voz' ('Your vote is your voice').

Sheriff's deputies form a line across street at Garfield High School during a Chicano student demonstration on March 5, 1968. Similar confrontations occurred at other schools.

How 1968 East LA Student Walkouts Ignited the Chicano Movement

Thousands of Mexican American students participated in the 'Blowout,' the first urban, youth-led protest of the burgeoning Chicano civil rights crusade.

Training Of The "Fighting 65th" Of Puerto RicoAfter their training period, these Puerto Rican soldiers will be ready for action and a chance to live up to the inspiring war record of the "Fighting 65th" in Korea. (Photo by Bettmann Archive/Getty Images)

Puerto Rico’s 65th Infantry Fought Bravely in Korea—Then Had to Fight for Redemption

The Borinqueneers, the U.S. military's only all-Hispanic unit, saw their sacrifice and achievements overshadowed by a trumped-up court martial.

A 1960s-era TV set on legs is shown between a potted plant and red footstool.

7 Groundbreaking Inventions by Latino Innovators

From entertainment devices to lifesaving medical technologies, Latino inventors have advanced humankind through their contributions.

How Mexican Vaqueros Inspired the American Cowboy

How Mexican Vaqueros Inspired the American Cowboy

Classic Westerns have cemented the image of cowboys as white Americans, but the first wave of horse-riding cow wranglers in North America were Indigenous Mesoamerican men.

When the Young Lords Demanded Action in the Garbage Offensive

When the Young Lords Put Garbage on Display to Demand Change

In 1969, a group of Puerto Rican youth in East Harlem leveraged a garbage problem to demand reform.

Why Isn't Puerto Rico a State?

Why Isn’t Puerto Rico a State?

As a U.S. territory, Puerto Rico is neither a state nor an independent country—and politics over its status remain complicated.

The body of Felix Longoria, a Texas GI of Mexican descent whose family found trouble in paying him final honor in his home town, was buried today in Arlington National Cemetery. Longoria, 26-year-old Mexican-American from Three Rivers, TX, was killed in action in the Philippines. Left to right: Mrs. Guadelupe Longoria, mother; Mrs. Sara Marino, sister-in-law; Adelita the soldier's 8-year-old daughter; Corporate I. Wait, Army ceremonial aide and Mrs. Beatriz Longoria, his widow.

When a Fallen Mexican American War Hero Was Denied a Wake, a Civil Rights Push Began

After a Texas funeral home refused to let Felix Longoria's family use its chapel in 1949, Senator Lyndon Johnson stepped in.

History of the Chicano Movement

How the Chicano Movement Championed Mexican-American Identity and Fought for Change

Chicano activists took on a name that had long been a racial slur—and wore it with pride.

5 Latino-Led Labor Strikes That Championed Rights for American Workers

5 Latino-Led Labor Strikes That Championed Rights for American Workers

They had a profound effect on the massive world of American food production.

Hispanic/Latinx History Milestones: Timeline

Hispanic History Milestones: Timeline

From early Spanish colonialism to civil and worker rights laws to famous firsts to Supreme Court decisions on immigration, see a timeline of notable events in U.S Hispanic and Latinx history.

Latino, Hispanic, Latinx, Chicano: The History Behind the Terms

Latino, Hispanic, Latinx, Chicano: The History Behind the Terms

The effort to coin a term to describe a wildly diverse group of Americans has long stirred controversy.

HISTORY: Hispanic Heritage Month

Hispanic Heritage Month

Hispanic Heritage Month is an annual celebration of the history and culture of the U.S. Latinx and Hispanic communities that spans from September 15 to October 15.

Romualdo Pacheco, the fist Latino Congressman

How the First Latino Congressman Had to Fight for His Seat

Romualdo Pacheco was adroit at politics (and bear hunting), but in 1877 he faced a rocky road to the House of Representatives.

Why Mexican Americans Say ‘The Border Crossed Us’

How white settlers edged out Mexicans in their own backyard.

The First Birth Control Pill Used Puerto Rican Women as Guinea Pigs

Eugenics and unethical clinical trials are part of the pill’s legacy.

Members of the US Army National Guard keep watch along the US Mexico border in Nogales, Arizona, 2010. (Credit: Nikki Kahn/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

The Violent History of the U.S.-Mexico Border

Chinese immigrants, escaped slaves, and Native Americans were all people U.S. forces tried to keep on one side or the other.

Migrant Mexican workers standing in line at the U.S. Public Health Station. The notion that Mexicans overburden the government, particularly in health, education and welfare, drove legislation to repatriate, and in some cases, sterilize immigrants.

Forced Sterilization of Mexican-Americans: When U.S. Lawmakers Took a Page from the Nazi Playbook

Some believed they could improve the U.S. population by controlled breeding.

DOUNIAMAG-PUERTORICO-ENTERTAINMENT-US-MUSIC-POVERTYA view of the neighbourhood of La Perla where the video "Despacito" was recorded in San Juan, on July 22, 2017. Something unusual is happening in La Perla, a poor barrio clinging to a steep hillside between Old San Juan and the sea where the video for the pop hit "Despacito" was filmed. / AFP PHOTO / Ricardo ARDUENGO (Photo credit should read RICARDO ARDUENGO/AFP via Getty Images)

Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico is a Caribbean island covering approximately 3,500 square miles. After centuries of Spanish rule, Puerto Rico became a U.S. territory in 1898.

A damaged Puerto Rican national flag spray painted hangs from the facade of a business in San Juan after Hurricane Maria. Puerto Rico has so far been concentrated largely in San Juan, and many outside the capital say they've received little or no help. (Credit: Ramon Espinosa/AP Photo)

How an Obscure 1920 U.S. Law is Crippling Puerto Rico’s Recovery

Is it time to alter or abolish the Jones Act?

Taco salad bowl with rice, corn, chili con carne, kidney beans, iceberg lettuce, sour cream, nacho chips, tomatoes - stock photo

Tracing the History of Tex-Mex

Take a look at the history of Tex-Mex, the regional cuisine that food snobs love to hate and millions love to consume.

American union leader Cesar Chavez (1927 - 1993) attends a Labour Party press conference in the UK, 17th September 1974.

Cesar Chavez

Cesar Chavez, labor leader, civil rights activist and founder of the National Farm Workers Association, dedicated his life to the rights of farm workers.