Every year from September 15 to October 15, the United States pauses to honor the histories, cultures, and creative achievements of its Hispanic and Latino communities. Here is where the observance came from, how it grew, and how it is celebrated today.

Every community leaves a trace of itself, in stone, in song, in the stories it tells its children, and every trace becomes the heritage that the next generation must choose to keep. On almost any warm weekend in New Jersey, somewhere a street is closed to traffic.

There are lives that shine like beacons. No matter the storm, no matter the darkness, they continue to illuminate the path for others.