Latino History

Latino history is American history. Latinos trace their origins to Latin America and other Spanish colonies, both in the Caribbean and in the contemporary United States. These groups include, but are not limited to, Indigenous, Mestizos, Afro-Latinos, and other mixed-race people. Currently representing the largest ethnic minority in the country, Latinos have participated in the creation and growth of this nation well before it was named the United States. Complex stories of colonization, immigration, and slavery make Latino history an infinite source for inquiry and knowledge. Explore many complex Latino narratives through our exhibits, collections, archives, programs, and blogs.

Exhibitions

Entertainment has the power to captivate, inspire and transform us.

Interior of the Entertainment Nation exhibition

Through almost 200 museum artifacts and about 100 loan objects, this exhibition shows how the many voices of the American people have contributed to and continue to shape the nation and its communities.

¡Pleibol! examined how generations of Latinos/as have helped make baseball what it is today.

This bilingual exhibition showcases the work of seven Latina journalists on Spanish-language television.

Collection Highlights

Aztec Sculpture, KCOR

This Stone Aztec Mask (1946) adorned the former KWEX-TV news building in San Antonio, Texas. This mask served a reminder of the TV station’s roots in Mexican-American culture.

Selena Quintanilla

This performance photo of Selena Quintanilla, often called the Queen of Tejano music, was taken by San Antonio-based photographer Al Rendon.

Jairo Javier Morales's Graduation Cap

This graduation cap and gown were worn by Jairo Javier Morales, a Latino college graduate, to celebrate his identity as an undocumented, queer, Mexican American artist. The cap and gown are currently on display in “¡Presente! A Latino History of the United States.”

¡Pleibol! In the Barrios and the Big Leagues

This photo appears in “¡Pleibol! In the Barrios and the Big Leagues,” a bilingual exhibition that explores the impact of Latinos on baseball. “¡Pleibol!” will tour the country after October 2022.

Videos

Resource Guides

Food History (PDF). This guide from the museum's Food History Team assembles a wealth of resources which speak to and reflect the role of food in the migration, work, family, and community experiences of Latinos in the United States.

In the News

“Smithsonian’s Latino gallery makes big gains for accessibility,” The Washington Post (June 2022)

Articles

A quilted textile depicting many people surrounding airplanes and other modes of transportation.

Close zoom on a handmade U.S. flag with 48 stars and 13 stripes attached to a short bamboo pole. Some of its details illustrate how it was created with found materials by U.S. soldiers held as POWs during World War II: bleeding colors, uneven stitching, and browned medical tape.

Four images. Leather pants and jeans, orange and white Cuban rumba dress, a Pittsburgh Pirates baseball jersey with the player number 21, and a margarita machine decorated with faux-wood paneling.

Latino History

Exhibitions

Entertainment Nation

Many Voices, One Nation

¡Pleibol!

In the Barrios and the Big Leagues / En los barrios y las grandes ligas

¡De última hora!

Latinas Report Breaking News