Each year, from September 15 through October 15, National Hispanic Heritage Month offers an opportunity to recognize the histories, cultures, intellectual traditions, achievements, and enduring contributions of Hispanic and Latino communities in the United States and around the world.
This year’s national theme, “Unidos, Somos Más,” translated as “Together, We Are More,” calls attention to the strength that emerges through connection, collaboration, and the collective contributions of diverse communities. The theme recognizes that Hispanic and Latino communities encompass a wide range of national origins, histories, cultural traditions, languages, identities, and lived experiences. It also affirms the possibilities created when those experiences and perspectives are brought together.
For the College of Social Sciences and Humanities (CSSH), Hispanic Heritage Month provides an important opportunity for learning, reflection, and intellectual engagement.
Heritage, History, and the Work of the Social Sciences and Humanities
The social sciences and humanities invite us to examine how people understand themselves, one another, and the societies they inhabit. Through history, culture, language, literature, politics, public policy, economics, migration, social institutions, and other areas of inquiry, scholars help illuminate both the experiences of communities and the larger forces that shape our shared world.
Hispanic and Latino histories are inseparable from many of these questions.
They are histories of migration and place, citizenship and civic participation, labor and economic change, literature and artistic expression, language and identity, family and community, political movements, public policy, education, and transnational connection. They are also histories that extend across nations and generations and resist being understood through any single narrative or experience.
That complexity is particularly meaningful within the academic community. Faculty scholarship can broaden the questions we ask about history and contemporary society. Staff members create the conditions in which learning, research, and engagement can flourish. Students contribute experiences, perspectives, and intellectual curiosity that continually expand classroom and campus conversations.
Hispanic Heritage Month therefore offers more than an occasion for recognition. It creates an opportunity to deepen our understanding of the people, ideas, histories, and cultural traditions that continue to shape our institutions and our society.
“Unidos, Somos Más”: The Power of Learning in Community
The 2026 theme, “Unidos, Somos Más,” is especially resonant within higher education.
Universities are strengthened when knowledge is developed not only through individual expertise, but through exchanges across disciplines, experiences, communities, generations, and ways of understanding the world. Within CSSH, our collective intellectual life is enriched when different perspectives encounter one another and create opportunities for new questions, deeper analysis, and greater understanding.
“Together, We Are More” reminds us that community does not equate to sameness. Communities become richer when distinct histories, cultures, identities, and perspectives are recognized as sources of knowledge and insight.
During Hispanic Heritage Month, we are invited to consider the scholars, educators, writers, artists, public servants, community leaders, organizers, and countless others whose work has shaped fields of study and public life. We can also consider whose scholarship we encounter in our classrooms, whose histories are represented in our curricula, whose perspectives inform our research questions, and how universities can continue creating meaningful opportunities for intellectual and cultural exchange.
For CSSH, these questions connect naturally to our broader commitment to understanding human experience and addressing complex social challenges through research, teaching, dialogue, and engagement.
From the Campus to the City
Learning does not end at the boundaries of the university.
Boston provides a rich environment in which to explore Hispanic and Latino histories, communities, cultural traditions, scholarship, art, and civic life. Hispanic and Latino communities have long contributed to the social, cultural, economic, and civic fabric of the city. In 2025, the Boston City Council noted that Boston was home to more than 135,000 Latino residents, representing approximately 20 percent of the city’s population.
Throughout Hispanic Heritage Month, we encourage CSSH faculty, staff, and students to engage with programs both across Northeastern and throughout Boston. Attend a lecture or cultural program. Explore an exhibition. Read the work of a Hispanic or Latino scholar or author whose perspective is new to you. Visit a neighborhood, museum, library, or community organization. Participate in conversations that expand your understanding of the histories and experiences represented during the month.
Engagement can begin with celebration, but it can also lead to deeper learning.
Hispanic Heritage Month Around Boston
Members of the CSSH community may wish to explore several events and resources taking place throughout Boston during the 2026 observance.
Mexican Flag Raising and Cultural Event at Boston City Hall
Tuesday, September 15 | 12:00 p.m. | Boston City Hall Plaza
The City of Boston will mark Mexican Independence Day and the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month with a flag raising and cultural celebration recognizing Boston’s Mexican community and its contributions to the city. The event is free and open to the public.
Latinx/Hispanic Heritage Month at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Thursday, September 17 | 5:00 to 10:00 p.m. | Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
The MFA’s September $5 Third Thursday will kick off Latinx/Hispanic Heritage Month with an evening featuring music, art-making activities, gallery Spotlight Talks, and opportunities to experience the museum’s collections. Admission for the evening is $5.
Hispanic Heritage Month at the Boston Public Library
The Boston Public Library observes Hispanic Heritage Month with programming and educational resources, including its Vida Latina reading initiative, which highlights contemporary works connected to Hispanic and Latino experiences. Faculty, staff, and students can explore the library’s Hispanic Heritage Month resources and reading collections throughout the observance.
City of Boston Latinx Heritage Month Programs
The City of Boston recognizes Latinx Heritage Month from September 15 through October 15 and maintains a citywide resource highlighting celebrations, cultural programs, initiatives, and opportunities for community engagement. Additional 2026 programming may continue to be announced throughout September.
Members of the CSSH community are also encouraged to follow Northeastern’s university and campus event calendars for lectures, conversations, student programs, cultural celebrations, and other Hispanic Heritage Month opportunities taking place across the university.
Hispanic Heritage Month Around Arlington, Virginia and the Washington, DC Area
Members of the CSSH community in the Arlington and Washington, DC area may wish to explore several events taking place throughout the 2026 observance.
We Like It Like That at 2700 Art Space
Friday, September 18 | 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. | 2700 Art Space, Arlington, Virginia
As part of Arlington Arts’ Hispanic Heritage Month programming, 2700 Art Space will host a free screening of We Like It Like That, a documentary exploring the Latin boogaloo movement that emerged in 1960s New York City through the blending of Afro-Cuban music, R&B, jazz, funk, and rock. The evening will also include food, music, and community gathering before the film begins at sunset, offering an opportunity to engage with the cultural history and musical traditions that shaped a generation.
In the Heights at 2700 Art Space
Friday, September 25 | 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. | 2700 Art Space, Arlington, Virginia
Arlington Arts will continue its Hispanic Heritage Month film series with a screening of In the Heights, the musical drama centered on the lives, aspirations, relationships, and experiences of residents in New York City’s Washington Heights community. The free outdoor program invites attendees to gather for food, music, and community before the film begins at sunset.
Festival Latinoamericano
Saturday, October 3 | 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. | Arlington Mill Community Center, Arlington, Virginia
Arlington County’s Festival Latinoamericano celebrates the cultures, traditions, and heritage of Latin America through live entertainment, authentic food, local artisans, cultural exhibits, family activities, and community organizations. The free event provides an opportunity for attendees to experience the diversity of Latin American cultures while connecting with the communities and traditions that contribute to Arlington’s cultural landscape.
Mambo Legends: The Music Never Ends at 2700 Art Space
Friday, October 9 | 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. | 2700 Art Space, Arlington, Virginia
The Hispanic Heritage Month film series will also feature Mambo Legends: The Music Never Ends, a documentary examining the history and legacy of Latin jazz. The film explores the development of a musical tradition shaped by African, Cuban, Puerto Rican, and American influences and connects contemporary audiences with the emergence of Latin jazz in New York during the 1940s. The evening will include food, music, community engagement, and a conversation connected to the film.
Members of the CSSH community can also explore Hispanic Heritage Month programming throughout the greater Washington, DC area. Destination DC highlights celebrations taking place from September 15 through October 15, including cultural programs at Smithsonian museums, performances, sporting events, and the annual Fiesta DC festival and parade scheduled for September 26 and 27.
Hispanic Heritage Month Around Oakland, California
Members of the CSSH community in Oakland and the greater Bay Area may also wish to engage with several cultural and educational programs taking place during Hispanic Heritage Month.
Oaktown Thursdays: Hispanic Heritage Month
Thursday, September 17 | 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. | Uptown Oakland
Oakland’s Oaktown Thursdays series will recognize Hispanic Heritage Month with a special community celebration in Uptown Oakland. The event is part of the city’s broader cultural programming and creates an opportunity for residents and visitors to gather in recognition of Hispanic and Latino culture, community, and contributions to Oakland.
Crafts for Hispanic Heritage Month at the Oakland Public Library
September 16, 23, and 30 and October 7 and 14 | 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. | Oakland Public Library, 3301 East 12th Street
The Oakland Public Library will offer a series of Hispanic Heritage Month arts and crafts programs that introduce participants to cultural and artistic traditions through hands on learning. Activities include Mexican bark painting, ceramic Aztec sun plaques, calavera-themed art, piñatas, and a program led by the Museum of Children’s Art. The series provides an accessible way for families and community members to learn about cultural expression while participating in creative activities.
Latinx Month Celebration: Special Experiences at Children’s Fairyland
September 28 and October 4, 5, 11, and 12 | Children’s Fairyland, Oakland
Children’s Fairyland will host several weekends of programming celebrating and uplifting the cultural diversity of the Latinx diaspora. Activities will include Chilean arpilleras arts and crafts, Ballet Folklórico, Guatemalan worry doll workshops, Brazilian music, Puerto Rican bomba music and dance, and musical storytelling. Through visual art, performance, music, and hands on learning, the series offers families an opportunity to experience traditions representing communities from across Latin America and the Caribbean.
The Oakland Public Library is also recognizing Hispanic Heritage Month throughout September with programs across its branches, including screen printing workshops led by a local artist and additional educational and cultural programming. These activities reflect the library’s broader effort to connect community members with Hispanic and Latino history, culture, creativity, and local voices.
Continuing the Conversation
National Hispanic Heritage Month gives us a meaningful opportunity to pause, reflect, and celebrate, but the histories, contributions, and voices we honor during this month extend far beyond a single observance.
Within CSSH, we are part of a community shaped by many experiences, perspectives, cultures, and stories. Each of those contributions adds something valuable to how we learn, how we teach, how we support one another, and how we understand the world around us.
“Unidos, Somos Más: Together, We Are More” reminds us that our greatest strength is often found in what we create together. It is found in conversations that challenge us to think differently, stories that help us see beyond our own experiences, and relationships that remind us of our shared humanity.
As we recognize Hispanic Heritage Month, may we do more than celebrate the richness of Hispanic and Latino histories and cultures. May we allow those histories and experiences to deepen our understanding of one another and inspire us to remain curious, thoughtful, and open to the many perspectives that strengthen our academic community.
May this month also remind us that every person brings a story, every perspective can expand our understanding, and every opportunity to learn from one another can help build a stronger and more connected community.
As we move forward, may we continue to honor the past, celebrate the contributions being made today, and help create a future in which every member of our community feels that their voice, their experiences, and their presence matter.
