LATINOS IN HERITAGE CONSERVATION
THE LATINX EQUITY STUDY
Next Steps:
Phase II and III
Phase II will focus on identifying effective outreach strategies, supporting engagement with communities historically excluded from the National Register process, and exploring additional sources of funding.
Phase III, expected to conclude by early 2026, will expand outreach to State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPOs), nonprofits, architectural firms, contractors, and community organizations to examine how “integrity” is defined and applied in preservation. Findings will inform policy recommendations to make the nomination process more inclusive.
Be sure to keep an eye on our Opportunities page for an upcoming position that will be in charge of conducting these aforementioned phases in our study.
Phase 1
The first phase examined federal recognition and funding patterns over the past decade. Nearly one in five Americans identify as Latinx, yet their histories remain largely absent from the nation’s preservation priorities.
In sorting through data collected from the National Park Service and participating SHPOs, it was determined that before 2015 approximately 525 sites reflected Latinx heritage. Since then, that number has grown 23% to 646 sites, with the majority of sites located in Puerto Rico.
This study was funded by the National Park Service’s Underrepresented Communities Grant (URC)
OUR PARTNERS
Overview
Since the start of the preservation movement in the United States, communities of color have largely been minoritized. This exclusion and erasure from the nation's narrative underscores the need for the present research, to examine the progress made toward greater inclusion since the launch of the National Park Service’s American Latinos and the Making of the United States: A Theme Study in 2011. This involves identifying best practices and addressing ongoing gaps in the representation of Latinx communities on the National Register of Historic Places, the “official list of the nation's historic sites deemed worthy of preservation”.
The relevance of this research persists today, as efforts to reduce funding and further marginalize these narratives have gained renewed momentum at the federal level.
