10 movies to watch (again) during Hispanic Heritage Month

September 15 marks the start of Hispanic Heritage Month- a month when people take some time to recognize the contributions of Hispanic and Latin Americans to the United States and celebrate the group’s heritage and culture.

For this reason, we picked some of the most popular and remembered Hispanic movies whose stories tell not only the struggles of being a Latino in the United States, but also highlight the hopes, pride and achievements of Hispanic living in the United States.

Stand and Deliver (1988)

The story of Jaime Escalante, a high school teacher who successfully inspired his dropout prone students to learn calculus.

The Mambo Kings (1992)

Musician brothers Cesar and Nestor leave Cuba for America in the 1950s, hoping to hit the top of the Latin music scene.

My Family (1995)

An epic film that traces over three generations of an immigrant family’s trials, tribulations, tragedies and triumphs.

Selena (1997)

The true story of Selena Quintanilla-Perez, a Texas-born Tejano singer who rose from cult status to performing at the Astrodome, as well as having chart topping albums on the Latin music charts.

 Tortilla Soup (2001)

A Mexican-American father and chef lost his ability to taste but his family still lives by one simple rule: be at home for Sunday dinner.

Piñero (2001)

The true story of the explosive life of Puerto Rican icon and poet-playwright-actor Miguel Piñero, whose urban poetry is recognized as a pre-cursor to rap and hip-hop. Piñero’s prison experiences developed into the 1974 Tony-nominated play Short Eyes.

Real Women Have Curves (2002)

A coming of age story of a first generation Latina, her very traditional parents and the struggle to find a balance between mainstream ambitions and cultural heritage.

Under the Same Moon (2007)

A young Mexican boy travels to the U.S. to find his mother-who has been working in the States to provide for him-after his grandmother passes away.

Cesar Chavez (2014) 

A biography of the civil-rights activist and labor organizer Cesar Chavez.

McFarland USA (2015)

The true story of a coach who turns seven Latino students with no hope into one of the best cross-country teams in the U.S.

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All movie synopsis taken from IMDb.