September 20, 2010 Library of Congress Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with Series of Events

The Library of Congress celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month, commemorated each year Sept. 15 through Oct. 15, with a series of events. This year’s theme, “Heritage, Diversity, Integrity and Honor: The Renewed Hope of America,” recognizes the many generations of Hispanic Americans who have positively influenced and enriched our nation and society.

The Library’s Hispanic Cultural Society will host a reception featuring guest speaker Angela Zavala, president of TIYM Publishing Co. Inc., on Thursday, Oct. 7, at 11 a.m. in the Whittall Pavilion on the ground floor of the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. S.E., Washington, D.C. This event is free and open to the public; no tickets or reservations are required.

Zavala immigrated to the United States in 1982 from her native Buenos Aires, Argentina. Settling in McLean, Va., she founded TIYM, a publishing company that develops comprehensive print and online reference materials for and about minority communities in the U.S. In 1986, she began compiling the first Hispanic Yearbook (Anuario Hispano), which is now in its 24th edition. The book is designed to assist Hispanics, both immigrants and those born in America, to gain access to language classes, colleges and universities, and to provide information about job opportunities. The publication also includes a CD on available scholarships. With the the success of the Hispanic Yearbook, Zavala also launched African-American, Asian-American and Arab-American Yearbooks.

In addition to the Oct. 7 reception, the Library will present other events to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month:

• Chavannes Jean-Baptiste and leaders of the Peasant Movement of Papay discuss “The Peasant Movement of Papay Responds to the Earthquake in Haiti and its Aftermath: Action, Vision and a Plan” on Monday, Sept. 27, from 1-5 p.m. in the Mary Pickford Theater, third floor of the James Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave S.E., Washington, D.C.
• Luis Alberto Ambroggio and Carlos Parada Ayala discuss their book “Al Pie de la Casa Blanca: Poetas Hispanos de Washington DC” on Thursday, Sept. 30, at 4:30 p.m. in the Mumford Room, sixth floor of the Madison Building.
• Judith Weiss, professor at Mount Alison University in New Brunswick, Canada, presents a lecture on “José Antonio Ramos: Cuban Playwright and Critic” on Monday, Oct. 4, at noon in the Mary Pickford Theater, third floor of the Madison Building.

The Library, along with the National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum have launched an online resource page at www.hispanicheritagemonth.gov to highlight collections about Hispanic Americans and their contributions and accomplishments.

The Hispanic and Portuguese collections of the Library of Congress comprise more than 13 million items and are believed to be the most extensive such collections in the world. For more information about the Library’s Luso-Hispanic holdings, visit the Library’s Hispanic Reading Room in person or online at www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/.

Founded in 1800, the Library of Congress is the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution. The Library seeks to spark imagination and creativity and to further human understanding and wisdom by providing access to knowledge through its magnificent collections, programs and exhibitions. Many of the Library’s rich resources can be accessed through its website at www.loc.gov and via interactive exhibitions on a personalized website at myLOC.gov.