These museums and galleries represent an important part of our most important history, legacy and memory. The fact of having them in the United States is a clear sign of the social, political and cultural presence and importance of the Hispanic community.

Paintings, photographs, sculptures, videos, installations, objects, memorabilia, vestiges and even documents. They say that whoever does not know their history is condemned to repeat it. This maxim, although a commonplace that has been questioned and reformulated over the years, in the case of a community as broad, diverse but at the same time particular as the Hispanic in the United States, takes on a much more important dimension compared to the figure of museums.

Being a sector with a population representation close to 20% of the total, the creation of specific museums around Hispanic culture and history have become more and more necessary. Although for some it seems like another weekend recreation activity, the different museums and galleries about the Hispanic community in the United States are doubly important, since the new generations do not cultivate or do not have at hand from an early age an approach with conservation, research and dissemination with their tangible and intangible heritage.

Throughout the United States we can find a score of museums dedicated exclusively to one or diverse cultures, peoples and civilizations around the Hispanic heritage from various aspects, fulfilling a double function of tourism and education alike, being one of the great heritage treasures of our roots, history and identity.

Knowing them not only holds wonderful secrets and valuable information about who we are, how we have developed and where we are going, but also opens a door to knowing our art, our deepest ties and what unites us and we often seem to forget.

Located in Long Beach, California, MOLAA is the only museum in the United States dedicated to modern and contemporary Latin American and Latino art. RB/BAUER-GRIFFIN (GC IMAGES)

If you take a road tour or are visiting any of these key points, do not forget to visit one or more of these powerful and emblematic centers of our history. Let’s celebrate together!

Alameda Museum (Texas)

101 S Santa Rosa Ave, San Antonio, TX 78207, USA.

Recognized as the largest Latino Museum in the United States and opened to the public in 2007, this cultural treasure has linked through its exhibitions the history of Latin America with contemporary North American society.

Hispanic Society of New York (New York)

613 W 155th St, New York, NY 10032, USA.

Museum and library of important reference for the study of the arts and cultures of Spain and Portugal, as well as their former colonies in Latin America, the Philippines, and Portuguese India. It is currently going through an important renovation in its composition.

Museum of Latino Art, Long Beach, California

628 Alamitos Ave, Long Beach, CA 90802, USA.

The Museum of Latin American Art brings the public closer to a vast collection of contemporary art that preserves, presents and interprets modern Latin American art, in order to promote intercultural dialogue.

Hispanic woman admiring art in gallery JGI/TOM GRILL/BLEND IMAGES (GETTY IMAGES/TETRA IMAGES RF)

Hispanic Cultural Center of Albuquerque (New Mexico)

1701 4th St SW, Albuquerque, NM 87102, USA.

Located on one of New Mexico’s main streets, this museum presents nearly 700 events a year, houses three theaters, an art museum, a library, as well as a genealogy center, a Spanish-language resource center and two restaurants, being a vital center for the culture of the Hispanic community.

Museum of Latino Art (California)

281 S Thomas St, Pomona, CA 91766, USA.

Located in the city of Pomona, this non-profit museum promotes the works of diverse contemporary Latin American artists living in the United States, with a balance of specialized exhibitions in their most local and profound scope, such as the exhibition Immigrants in Pomona, Independent vs. Independence and Hispanic Heritage.

National Museum of Arts and Culture of Puerto Rico (Chicago)

3015 W Division St, Chicago, IL 60622, USA.

A cultural and particular milestone for Puerto Rican art, history and culture in the United States, which has hosted exhibitions of visual arts, community education and festivals of various kinds. Its exhibitions have featured the artwork of artists such as Osvaldo Budet, Elizam Escobar, Antonio Martorell, Ramon Frade Leon and Lizette Cruz, among others, as well as local artists from Chicago or Puerto Rico.

The Latino Museum (Nebraska)

4701 S 25th St, Omaha, NE 68107, USA.

The Latino Museum is a museum featuring Latino and Hispanic art and history. In conjunction with the exhibitions, it develops educational programs that include lectures, slideshows, films, art classes, workshops, as well as gallery talks, guided tours and various types of activities for the community.

Harwood Museum of Art (New Mexico)

238 Ledoux St, Taos, NM 87571, USA.

This is the second oldest art museum in New Mexico. Its collections include a wide range of Hispanic works and visual arts from the Taos Society of Artists, Taos Moderns and various contemporary artists.

HILL STREET STUDIOS (GETTY IMAGES)

Fondo del Sol Visual Arts Center (Washington)

2112 R St NW, Washington, DC 20008, USA.

Founded in 1973, this is the oldest Latino visual arts and multicultural center in the United States, whose focus was for decades on the art and cultural heritage of the people of the Americas. It was also the first multilingual museum in Washington, D.C. to offer materials in English, French, Russian, and Spanish.

The Plaza of Culture and Arts (California)

501 N Main St, Los Angeles, CA 90012, USA.

This Mexican-American museum and cultural center opened in April 2011. Its construction houses interactive exhibits designed by experienced design expert Tali Krakowsky, as part of a vital reconstruction of the main street on which it is located. Here the stories, cultural expressions, values and traditions of Mexicans, Mexican Americans and all Latinos in Los Angeles and Southern California are promoted and shared.

Museum of the Americas (Colorado)

861 Santa Fe Dr, Denver, CO 80204, USA.

Founded in 1992, this museum is dedicated to educating and sharing with Colorado’s Hispanic community the collection, preservation, interpretation and exhibition of the diverse arts and cultures of the Americas, from antiquity to the present day, through exhibitions and innovative programs.

Latino Cultural Center of Dallas (Texas)

2600 Live Oak St, Dallas, TX 75204, USA.

Multidisciplinary arts center and regional catalyst for the preservation, development and promotion of Latino and Hispanic arts and culture.

Gary Nader American Art Center (Miami, Florida)

62 NE 27th St, Miami, FL 33137, USA.

Holder of one of the largest collections of Latin American art in the United States, Lebanese-Dominican art collector Gary Nader is an important figure in the art world. Still in the pipeline, this ambitious center aims to be the largest Latino art museum in the world, which will house about 188 pieces by Latino artists. It currently has a gallery in the Wynwood area, open since 1985.

Source: Pineda, R. (2021, 29 September). EL PAÍS Edition America: the global newspaper. Country America. https://elpais.com/america/sociedad/celebremos-juntos/2021-09-29/el-corazon-hispano-de-estados-unidos.htm