Latino Americans: 500 Years of History

Latino Americans: 500 Years of History, a public programming initiative for libraries and other cultural organizations, supports exploration of the rich and varied history and experiences of Latinos who have helped shape the United States over the last five centuries and who have become, with more that 50 million people, the country's largest minority group.

Rod Library won a competitive grant from the NEA to host a year long (July 2015-June 2016) series of events celebrating Latino culture and contributions in the United States.

• Events
• Eventos
• Film Series
• About NEH & ALA
• Partners
• Community Read

We hosted a series of film screenings, speakers, and events. The most substantial project we undertook wasTu Historia: Latino Americans in Iowa. This was an oral history project that collected the stories of Latinos living in Iowa with the intention of creating greater cultural understanding through shared experiences. These histories, collected by professors and students from UNI, are available to the public online through UNI ScholarWorks, the Rod Library's institutional repository.

Other Resources:

Latino Americans: PBS Film Series [A landmark six-hour documentary featuring interviews with nearly 100 Latinos and more than 500 years of History.]

American Library Association Latino Americans: 500 Years of History grant website.