Take A Trip Through Hispanic-American History
One of the best ways to increase your awareness, understanding, and appreciation for the contributions of Hispanic people to American culture is to visit sites that celebrate and explore that history.Here are a few suggestions to get you started.Castolon: A Meeting Place of Two Cultures -- Castalon, TexasSet below the towering cliffs of the Sierra Ponce, Castolon is a small trading and farming community in far southwest Texas. The city's history includes a harmonious mixing of the people along the United States-Mexico border.
Just after the Mexican Revolution ended, two men created a farming, ranching, and storekeeping partnership at Camp Santa Helena, now known as Castolon. They named their business La Harmonia Enterprises, a name they hoped would accurately reflect a continuing condition of the area -- harmony between peoples.
The Cine El Rey -- McAllen, TexasThe Cine El Rey ("The King Cinema") symbolizes the significance of the Spanish language Film Theater in the Hispanic-American culture. Opened as a theater in downtown McAllen, Texas, in 1947, the "El Rey" served the city's Hispanic community for 40 years.
Spanish Missions Trail -- San AntonioThe Mission Trail links the five 18th-century Spanish missions that laid the foundation for modern-day San Antonio. Each of the five missions on San Antonio's Mission Trail dates back to the days when Spain attempted to extend its reach in the New World by converting Native Americans to Catholicism.
International Center for the Arts of the Americas -- HoustonHoused at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, the center has a collection focused on modern and contemporary art in all media by artists from Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean, as well as by U.S.-based Latino artists.
Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail -- Nogales, Ariz.This national trail commemorates the route followed by a Spanish commander, Juan Bautista de Anza, who led a group of soldiers and their families to Californis and founded a mission on the San Francisco Bay. Visitors can experience the varied landscapes similar to those the expedition saw; learn the stories of the expedition, its members, and descendants; better understand the American Indian role in the expedition and the diversity of their cultures; and appreciate the extent of the effects of Spanish colonial settlement of Arizona and California.
Fort Matanzas -- St. Augustine, Fla.
This Spanish outpost fort was built in 1740-1742 to guard the Matanzas Inlet and to warn St. Augustine of British or other enemies approaching from the south. Fort Matanzas now serves as a reminder of the early Spanish empire in the New World.
Ybor City: Cigar Capital of the World -- Tampa, Fla.Walk down Seventh Avenue in Ybor City (now a section of Tampa, Fla.) and feel yourself transported to a place in another time.Brick streets are lined with sidewalks of hexagonal concrete pavers and old-fashioned, cast-iron street lamps. Buildings present ornate porticos, decorative brickwork, handmade wrought-iron balconies, and ornamental tile work. A few small, plain workers' cottages, once home to Ybor City's cigar workers, have been preserved.
Museum of Latin American Art -- Long Beach, Calif.This is the only museum in the western United States that exclusively features contemporary Latin American art.
The Museo de las Américas -- Denver, Colo.This museum is dedicated to educating the public about the artistic and cultural achievements of Latinos in the Americas. Its mission is to foster understanding of and appreciation for the achievements of the Latino people of the Americas by collecting, preserving, and interpreting the diverse art, history, and cultures of this region from ancient times to the present.
El Rancho De Las Golondrinas -- Santa Fe, N.M.El Rancho de las Golondrinas is a living history museum located just south of Santa Fe. The museum is dedicated to the heritage and culture of Spanish Colonial New Mexico.
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The Cine El Rey -- McAllen, TexasThe Cine El Rey ("The King Cinema") symbolizes the significance of the Spanish language Film Theater in the Hispanic-American culture. Opened as a theater in downtown McAllen, Texas, in 1947, the "El Rey" served the city's Hispanic community for 40 years.
Spanish Missions Trail -- San AntonioThe Mission Trail links the five 18th-century Spanish missions that laid the foundation for modern-day San Antonio. Each of the five missions on San Antonio's Mission Trail dates back to the days when Spain attempted to extend its reach in the New World by converting Native Americans to Catholicism.
International Center for the Arts of the Americas -- HoustonHoused at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, the center has a collection focused on modern and contemporary art in all media by artists from Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean, as well as by U.S.-based Latino artists.
Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail -- Nogales, Ariz.This national trail commemorates the route followed by a Spanish commander, Juan Bautista de Anza, who led a group of soldiers and their families to Californis and founded a mission on the San Francisco Bay. Visitors can experience the varied landscapes similar to those the expedition saw; learn the stories of the expedition, its members, and descendants; better understand the American Indian role in the expedition and the diversity of their cultures; and appreciate the extent of the effects of Spanish colonial settlement of Arizona and California.
Fort Matanzas -- St. Augustine, Fla.
This Spanish outpost fort was built in 1740-1742 to guard the Matanzas Inlet and to warn St. Augustine of British or other enemies approaching from the south. Fort Matanzas now serves as a reminder of the early Spanish empire in the New World.Ybor City: Cigar Capital of the World -- Tampa, Fla.Walk down Seventh Avenue in Ybor City (now a section of Tampa, Fla.) and feel yourself transported to a place in another time.Brick streets are lined with sidewalks of hexagonal concrete pavers and old-fashioned, cast-iron street lamps. Buildings present ornate porticos, decorative brickwork, handmade wrought-iron balconies, and ornamental tile work. A few small, plain workers' cottages, once home to Ybor City's cigar workers, have been preserved.
Museum of Latin American Art -- Long Beach, Calif.This is the only museum in the western United States that exclusively features contemporary Latin American art.
The Museo de las Américas -- Denver, Colo.This museum is dedicated to educating the public about the artistic and cultural achievements of Latinos in the Americas. Its mission is to foster understanding of and appreciation for the achievements of the Latino people of the Americas by collecting, preserving, and interpreting the diverse art, history, and cultures of this region from ancient times to the present.
El Rancho De Las Golondrinas -- Santa Fe, N.M.El Rancho de las Golondrinas is a living history museum located just south of Santa Fe. The museum is dedicated to the heritage and culture of Spanish Colonial New Mexico.
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