Hispanic Heritage Month: Celebrating Culture, History, and the Art of Mexico

Every year from September 15 through October 15, Hispanic Heritage Month recognizes the histories, cultures and contributions of people with roots in Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean and Spain.

The celebration begins on September 15 for a reason. It marks the anniversary of independence for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Mexico celebrates its Independence Day one day later, on September 16.

But even the name Hispanic Heritage Month tells a more complicated story.

Hispanic, Latino and a Question of Identity

There has never been one word that perfectly describes the incredibly diverse people and cultures connected to Latin America.

The term Hispanic generally refers to people connected by Spanish language or Spanish cultural heritage. For some, it is an important part of their identity. For others, the word's emphasis on Spain can feel incomplete, particularly when considering the history of Spanish colonization and the Indigenous and African cultures that existed before colonization and continued alongside it.

Latino or Latina, by contrast, refers more directly to Latin America rather than Spain.

Neither term can capture every identity or experience. Mexican, Chicano, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Indigenous, Afro-Latino and countless other identities each carry their own histories.

Perhaps that complexity is something worth recognizing during Hispanic Heritage Month itself. Celebrating heritage does not require simplifying its history.

Mexican Folk Art Tells That Story

In Mexico, you can see layers of history reflected vividly in traditional Mexican folk art.

Mexican folk art is not simply decorative. It is a living expression of community, history, spirituality and identity, often passed from one generation of artisans to the next.

Look closely at traditions such as alebrijes, Árboles de la Vida, cartonería, papel picado, barro, textiles and Día de los Muertos art, and you find influences stretching across centuries.

Many Mexican art forms preserve Indigenous techniques, imagery and beliefs. Others reflect the introduction of Catholicism and European traditions during the colonial period. Over generations, these influences mixed with local customs and evolved into traditions that are unmistakably Mexican.

Día de los Muertos is one of the best-known examples. The celebration as it exists today reflects both Indigenous understandings of death and remembrance and Catholic traditions introduced after Spanish colonization. The result is not simply one tradition replacing another, but a cultural expression that has continued to evolve in Mexico for generations.

Folk Art as Cultural Memory

This is part of what makes folk art so meaningful.

A clay sculpture, embroidered textile or hand-painted figure can carry far more than an artisan's individual creativity. It can preserve techniques learned from parents and grandparents, symbols understood within a community, regional materials and stories that have survived enormous cultural change.

For Mexican and Mexican-American communities, these traditions can also create a tangible connection to heritage across borders and generations.

That feels particularly meaningful during Hispanic Heritage Month.

The month can be an opportunity to celebrate extraordinary art, food, music, language and traditions. It can also be a time to learn where those traditions came from, including the parts of history that are complicated.

Because heritage is rarely one simple story.

It is something inherited, questioned, preserved and continually made our own.