I was working on a reference question when I came across the information that September 15-October 15 is National Hispanic Heritage Month. Why the odd dates? According to the Library of Congress, September 15 is a significant day for many Latin Americans, because it’s the independence day of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. September 16 is when Mexico celebrates its independence, and September 18 is Chile’s independence day. Another important day that falls during this month is Dia de la Raza on October 12, which you might also know as Columbus Day.
Pittsburgh has a small but growing Latino community, which is why I thought it was important to write about this month. According to America’s Top Rated Cities: A Statistical Handbook, the population of Pittsburgh is 1.7% Hispanic. That might not sound like much, but consider the fact that the U.S. Census Bureau reports the total population of Pittsburgh in 2007 as 311,218. That means that over 5,000 people in Pittsburgh identify as Hispanic. As a librarian, to me that sounds like an awful lot of people who might be using one of our libraries.
I’m happy to say that we have lots of materials to offer our Hispanic patrons, such as the Spanish language materials that are located in the First Floor’s Foreign Language collection. Our Film and Audio department houses many Spanish-language films, and in the CD collection you’ll find Brazilian, Mexican, Cuban, and lots of other Latin American Music. If English isn’t your native language, our collection of English as a Second Language (ESL) materials, which includes books, DVDs, and audio CDs, will help you expand your vocabulary or brush up on the tricky rules of English grammar. And if you’re an English speaker who’s interested in learning Spanish, we have materials for you too. Peruse our cookbooks to find recipes for tamales, enchiladas, and fajitas. Take a look at the art books to find information on Latino artists, or look through our craft section to find out more about traditional Latin American crafts. In our International Poetry Room you’ll find anthologies or monographs by Latin American poets, some of which include both the original Spanish and the English translation. And for the more historically inclined among you, take a look at our selection of books on Latin American history.
If you need even more ways to celebrate this month, check out some of the ongoing events that take place in Pittsburgh, like the free film series Amigos del Cine Latinamericano. Or look at the Latino resource page on the library web site to find local organizations that celebrate Latino culture all year long.
-Irene
