Fandango

Somos Colorado

Latino History & Heritage

A rich tapestry of in-person and online experiences across the state—from informative discussions to festive celebrations, along with a wide variety of exhibits and digital resources—blankets Latino Heritage Month at History Colorado. This commemoration, generally observed September 15–October 15 in communities across Colorado each year, is an exciting time to embrace exploration conducted year-round in collaboration with the individuals and communities that we partner with and serve.

Top Image: La Fiesta by David Ocelotl García

Events

A colorful mural depicting an eagle whose wings form the faces of Chicana women. On one side is a modern chicano athlete, on the other side is an Indigenous person participating in a ritual.
Photo of an outdoor anti-war protest rally featuring speaker Corky Gonzales. He stands in front of a microphone flanked by unidentified men and women standing and sitting on the steps. A banner behind Corky reads "RAZA SI, GUERRA NO."
Fandango
A mural in red, gold, and green, evoking the flag of Mexico and depicting two individuals, a man and a woman, standing in Central America with North America to their left and South America to their right.
Cruising Downtown
Three Avondale community members taking part in the collective remembering process.
Dolores Huerta Lecture 2020
Freddie Trujillo
Trujillo family baseball team, Trinidad, about 1910
A colorful geometric mural in red, white, and green adorns the front of a residential building with two doors.

Exhibitions & Initiatives

Chicano Murals of Colorado Project

On the eve of Cinco de Mayo, the National Trust for Historic Preservation named the more than 40 surviving historic Chicano/a/x Community Murals of Colorado across the state to its 2022 list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. These murals can be found across the state, from the Denver area to Greeley, Pueblo, the San Luis Valley, and beyond. Chicano murals illuminate the often untold history of Hispanos, Chicanos, and Mexican Americans in the state.

Learn more at the Chicano Murals of Colorado Project website →

Additional Content regarding Chicano Murals:

  • A colorful mural depicting an eagle whose wings form the faces of Chicana women. On one side is a modern chicano athlete, on the other side is an Indigenous person participating in a ritual.

    Shroud, Destruction, and Neglect

    As Chicano/a/x murals are erased in Denver, an archaeologist looks at the legacy of these art pieces—and why they need to be preserved.

  • Community Murals Across Colorado by Chicano/a Artists Named Among America’s 11-Most Endangered Historic Places

    PRESS CONTACT:
    Lucha Martinez de Luna
    Director of Chicano/a/x Community Murals of Colorado
    720-469-1834 | coloradomuralsproject@gmail.com
    History Colorado is a proud supporter of this Chicano/a/x Murals of Colorado Initiative
    Mural photos for media available at:  http://tinyurl.com/colomurals

    DENVER — May 4, 2022 —  On the eve of Cinco de Mayo, the National Trust for Historic Preservation named the historic Chicano/a/x Community Murals of Colorado across the state to its 2022 list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. The Chicano/a/x community murals illuminate an often untold, overlooked, or erased history in cities where Hispanos, Chicanos, and Mexican Americans were key to their development. Although the exact number is unknown, it is believed that more than 40 historic Chicano/a/x community murals exist across the state of Colorado, including the Denver region, Greeley, Pueblo, and San Luis.

Cruzando Los Traques (Vías): Remembering the Maestas Case

You may be familiar with Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, a case about racial segregation in public schools that was decided by the US Supreme Court in 1954. You may not know as much about the Maestas case, a 1914 decision that desegregated schools in Alamosa a full four decades before the landmark Brown decision. One of the nation’s oldest school desegregation cases is celebrated in 2022 with an educational tour through Colorado and New Mexico.

In 1912, Hispano and Latino families living in Alamosa filed suit against the Board of Education to stop the segregation of their bilingual children. The school board claimed the separation was necessary because the students only spoke Spanish and required English language support. The school board's argument was shown to be false as the children testified at the trial, answering questions in English before the interpreter finished translating. The court ruled in favor of Maestas et al. in a landmark decision that was all but forgotten by the wider world for a century- but not by the people of the San Luis Valley.

Cruzando Los Traques (Vías), a statue by New Mexico artist Reynaldo “Sonny” Rivera, has toured Colorado, accompanied by a pop-up exhibit explaining the history of this under-studied moment in civil rights history. On October 1st, the statue will be permanently installed in the Alamosa courthouse at a commemorative celebration.

 

Learn more about the history of the Maestas Case in this article from the Colorado Magazine →

Learn more about the Maestas Case project at MaestasCase.com

Cruzando los Traques (Vias) by Sonny Rivera, on display in the Colorado State Capitol Building.

Cruzando los Traques (Vias) by Sonny Rivera, on display in the Colorado State Capitol Building.

Other Resources

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    Hispano Coloradans

    No matter where you live or travel in Colorado, the Hispano influence is powerfully felt. So many people have made their mark on Colorado’s rich history, and our state’s Hispano residents have been here longer than many.

    Join us in celebrating their stories — stories of discovery, patience, persistence and resilience.

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    La Gente: Colorado's Hispano History

    Explore hundreds of years of Hispano contributions in Colorado, from ancient civilizations to the Chicano Movement.

  • A colorful mural depicting an eagle whose wings form the faces of Chicana women. On one side is a modern chicano athlete, on the other side is an Indigenous person participating in a ritual.

    Latino Heritage Collection

    Dedicated to documenting the contributions of Latinos in Colorado, the Latino Heritage Curatorial Department is strengthening current holdings while developing, supporting and coordinating projects to preserve, promote, and celebrate Latino culture, history, and arts.  Currently, the Latino Heritage Curatorial Department is working on a contemporary collecting initiative to document Latino Heritage in our state. This exciting and important work seeks to link generations of Latino families and communities to each other and to the history of Colorado. 

Articles

  • Photo of a woven piece by Eppie Archuleta called "Rain Cloud." The piece features a tan background, with horizontal thin stripes clustered together into two wide horizontal bands on each side of the image. These stripes are white, turquoise, red, and black in color. The center image is a blocky geometric shape of turquoise, black, red, and tan, with white feather-like edging. There is a very small turquoise dot in the very center.

    The Master Weaver of the San Luis Valley

    Far beyond Eppie Archuleta’s technical abilities, awards, and accolades as a master weaver, she was a weaver of artistry and legacy—her work strengthened by the warp of her ancestors and enriched by the weft of faith, love, and kindness.

  • Aerial view of the Town of Glenwood Springs, Colorado in the Roaring Fork Valley and the Grand Avenue Bridge going over the Colorado River.

    Me Ha Afectado Mucho

    Documenting the Covid-19 pandemic among the Latino immigrant community of the Roaring Fork Valley.

  • Photo of five separate images of women who were important figures in the borderlands history of Colorado. From left to right, the women are: Teresita Sandoval, Amache Prowers, Josefa Carson, Rebecca Lopez, and Dona Bernarda Mejia Velasquez.

    Women of the Borderlands

  • Photo of a small creek running over blonde sand. The the right, the bank contains some small rocks, sticks, and shrubs. To the left of the creek, the sands of the dunes gently rise up toward the left. A few green shrubs dot the banks of the creek. In the background, mountains covered in trees are visible on this sunny, blue-sky day.

    Traveling the Storied Byway of the San Luis Valley

    “Ever since my first visit to the Great Sand Dunes National Park at seven years old, I’ve always remembered the special feeling of seeing them for the first time,” says Megan Eflin, Outreach Coordinator for the History Colorado State Historical Fund. “And how much fun my family and I had there on one of our many road trips when I was young. As an adult, summers for me have become a time for packing into the car, snacks accessible, music playlist at the ready, and hitting the open road for an adventure. Giving you an opportunity to create your own path. Choosing to stop when you see something of interest, make route changes on a whim, and immersing yourself in local culture, food, and events.”