In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, we’ve been reflecting on the great achievements and contributions of fearless Hispanic and Latinx changemakers that have transformed our communities and the world. These contributions span the fields of medicine, law, civil rights, arts and culture, science and technology and more. And in looking back, we’ve found that the story of Latinx leaders in entrepreneurship is equally impressive and groundbreaking.
To celebrate this history of innovation and shed light on the scope of this impact, we are highlighting a few organizations that have been featuring the Hispanic and Latinx community this month. The Case Foundation strives to lift up people and ideas with the potential to change the world, and this groundswell of acknowledgment and support is encouraging.
MacArthur Foundation
The MacArthur Foundation is focusing on amplifying the voices of MacArthur Fellows of Hispanic or Latin American descent. You can follow along on Twitter with the hashtag, #MacFellow or head over to Medium to read the full story. We particularly like this quote from Juan Salgado, a Community Leader. “Communities like ours are only as strong as the human capital they can retain and attract. If people here can get access to better economic opportunities, if they can increase their earnings while staying in their communities, then we have healthy and livable communities.”
NASA
NASA looks back on the remarkable accomplishments of Hispanic astronauts with a particular focus on the contributions made over the last 20 years that the Space Station has been aloft. The first Hispanic-American in space was Franklin R. Chang-Díaz when he flew as a mission specialist aboard Space Shuttle Columbia’s STS-61C mission in 1986. He flew in space a record-tying six more times, including one visit to the Russian space station Mir and one to ISS.
Pixar
Pixar artists are celebrating some of the many Hispanic and Latinx artists throughout history who have inspired them. Pixar Visual Development Artist Ana Ramirez shares her admiration for the artistry of director Alfonso Cuarón Orozco, winner of four Academy Awards; Pixar Story Supervisor Louis Gonzales reflects on an artist who inspires him, comic book creator Jaime Hernandez; and Pixar Story Artist Paula Assadourian pays tribute to Mexican photographer Lola Alvarez Bravo.
National Geographic
Check out National Geographic’s extensive Resource Library for videos, photographs, and articles, as they join communities across South, Central, and North America to celebrate the history, contributions, influence, and accomplishments of Latinx, Latina, Latino, and Hispanic people who have enriched the United States.
American Society of Landscape Architects
ASLA is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with a series of webinars. Register to watch one of the following presentations with experts in the field: Cultural Diversity through the Latin American Landscape; The Spectacular Nature of Ancient Mexico; On Social Urbanism and Reframing Spatial Design in Latin America; Climate Change, Landscape, Cultural and Natural Heritage.
Smithsonian
Oriana E. Gonzales and Ariana A. Curtis of the National Museum of African American History and Culture and Sara Cohen of Because of Her Story wrote an informative blog entitled, “Nine Latinas You May Not Know This Hispanic Heritage Month.” Know their names, share their stories.
In addition to sharing stories of Latinx changemakers in the daily Google Doodle, Google is highlighting Latinx culture everywhere from Hollywood to Congress and supporting Pop-Up Magazine, a new collection of stories celebrating Latinx voices with tales of fearless creativity, songs of love and longing, and even inspired advice for public speaking. And perhaps more important now than ever, Google is spotlighting Latinx businesses around the country and providing free tools and training to help Latino-owned businesses adapt and grow.
Marvel Entertainment
The Marvel Universe is celebrating their Hispanic and Latinx characters. From Araña to White Tiger, check out the heroes who have made their mark on Marvel. Araña is giving us some serious #BeFearless vibes: “This half-Puerto Rican, half-Mexican web-slinger crackled with bravery since her first appearance!”
She Se Puede
The organization She Se Puede is a community for Latinas, by Latinas. They’ve reminded us that while we celebrate the amazing accomplishments of our community during this month, Latinx excellence never stops. A great reminder that changemakers are powerful all 365 days of the year!
All month, Instagram is sharing letters to “mi gente” from the Latinx community around the world. Don’t miss the stories, art, and comedy found in their #LatinxHeritageMonth story! If you’re celebrating the Hispanic or Latinx community on Instagram, tag @CaseFoundation and perhaps we’ll feature you on our Story!