Texas Tropical Trail Region

Participant in the Texas Historical Commission's
Texas Heritage Trails Program

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Hispanic Heritage

International Accordion Festival, San Antonio

SI SE PUEDE!

Unlike many folks residing in states farther north, we Texans are lucky enough to enjoy the benefits of a Hispanic culture that dates back hundreds of years. We were once part of Mexico and Spain, after all. Fortunately today, we receive all the advantages of an American democracy alongside a lively Hispanic heritage that has given us vibrant celebrations, delicious cuisine, nationally recognized entertainers, and influential politicians that help define and elevate our state's profile on the world stage.

Hispanics were among the original Texans, including prominent leaders such as José Antonio Navarro and Juan Seguín, and we are a better nation for their contributions. Our Hispanic heritage is a fluid one, growing in size and influence and adapting alongside the rest of Texas to a much larger and more diversified world. We in Texas take pride in our diversity, illustrating to the rest of the nation the importance of embracing many voices. We also love to flaunt the fact that our Fiesta season is absolutely the best month-long party in the country.

Explore the Hispanic experience in Texas with the following Texas Historical Commission travel resources:

Texas Time Travel website – Use the map and links below to explore Hispanic heritage sites in Texas.
Travel Guide – Download the Hispanic Texans: Journey from Empire to Democracy travel guide (PDF) or request the guide in print. The guide is also available in Spanish, Texas Hispano: Viaje Desde El Imperio Hasta La Democracia (PDF).
Guía de Viaje— Descargue la guía Texas Hispano: Viaje Desde El Imperio Hasta La Democracia (PDF) o solicite una copia impresa. Toda la información de la guía es español.
Mobile Tour – Go mobile with the Hispanic Texans: Journey from Empire to Democracy mobile tour, featuring a rich blend of images, videos, first-person interviews, maps, and useful visitor information for exploring historic sites across Texas.
Watch our Hispanic Texans video series to learn more about Hispanic cultural heritage in Texas.

POSADA PARTY'S AT MY HOUSE THIS YEAR!

Texas' border culture, celebrated by the rich mix of Hispanic and Anglo populations occupying the Rio Grande Valley, gives the Tropical Trail region a unique and unifying flavor. Food, music, and religious celebrations blend the legacy of Spanish colonialism with Indian and Spanish traditions and are best illustrated in the many festivals, observances, architectural styles, and community events that occur throughout the region. Places like Laredo, founded in 1755, Roma, settled in 1770, and Brownsville, chartered as an American city in 1848, trace our Texas Hispanic heritage through its transformation from colonial provincialism to a thriving force in modern-day Texas. Participate in the annual Dia de los Muertos when families gather together in local cemeteries to remember and honor their beloved ancestors or watch the colorful matachn dancers perform on feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Enjoy the pagentry of Texas' first cowboy traditions displayed in the riding and roping skills of the vaquero heritage, when you join in the festivities during the Charro Days Fiesta. There are a myriad of ways to celebrate our bi-national heritage.