Honoring Hispanic and Latin American Culture and Contributions through Preservation

Sylvia Mendez. Photograph by Richard Rivera, October 12, 2011. Image courtesy of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Hispanic Heritage Month in the United States spans from September 15 to October 15 each year. The timeframe aligns with the dates on which many Central American countries celebrate their independence days. To be clear, Hispanic and Latin American, or Latino or Latina or Latinx, do not hold the same meaning. The term Hispanic speaks to language, whereas Latin American speaks to geography. However, as one might imagine, it is not so simple.

U.S. observance of Hispanic Heritage Month began in 1968. For lovers of legislative history, the Library of Congress has got you covered with background on how this commemorative observance came about. Today, the Hispanic population in the United States continues to grow, cementing the importance of Hispanic and Latin American contributions to our country’s past, present, and future.

For a wealth of information on such contributions, visit this site, where numerous national cultural institutions are partnering to pay tribute. Included is the National Archives Document Display on Sylvia Mendez, whose family fought school segregation in Southern California preceding Brown v. Board of Education. The Mendez family’s story is an example of how preserved records become resources that courts, scholars, and the public rely on to understand context and the historical record that often frames later judicial reasoning.

This year’s Hispanic Heritage Month comes on the heels of the U.S. Supreme Court granting an emergency application for stay in Noem v. Perdomo, addressing the practice of federal immigration officers relying on race and ethnicity, as well as other factors, to support decisions to detain people. Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the first Hispanic person and the first Latina to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States, dissented. Judicial opinions are built on evidence and history, and archives safeguard much of that foundation. Legislative histories, agency records, demographic data, and prior court proceedings, preserved and made accessible by archivists, regularly appear in the reasoning that shapes opinions, concurrences, and dissents alike.

During this month of honor and celebration, I encourage each of us to ponder these questions. What does it mean to truly honor people and cultures? What constitutes true freedom and independence? Let us look inward and ask ourselves whether we are upholding the values we hold as our own. Preservation is not just commemorative. It is participatory in the rule of law. By maintaining accurate, inclusive, and accessible archives, we provide the sources that inform judicial understanding, illuminate lived experiences, and help ensure that courts can engage with the historical and cultural contexts that matter.

Preserving the Law of Freedom: Exploring Legal Collections About Juneteenth

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture

On June 19, 1865, Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, and issued General Order No. 3, declaring that all enslaved people were free. It was a delayed, but life-altering, announcement for more than 250,000 enslaved Black Americans in Texas. That moment became the foundation of Juneteenth, the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States.

As Juneteenth has grown from a community celebration to a recognized federal holiday, legal scholars, historians, and archivists have worked to preserve and share the legal documents that make up this story.

Below are some of the collections and archives that preserve Juneteenth’s legal and historical record. Each offers a unique window into how the law has shaped, recorded, and responded to Black freedom.

The Original Juneteenth Order

At the heart of Juneteenth is a single, transformative document: General Order No. 3. Issued by Union Major General Gordon Granger on June 19, 1865, it reads in part:

“The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.”

This order put into effect the Emancipation Proclamation in the last Confederate state where it had yet to be enforced. Today, the original handwritten document is preserved by the National Archives, which has made it available online for public viewing.

Juneteenth Becomes Law

In June 2021, Juneteenth was officially recognized as a federal holiday. The Juneteenth National Independence Day Act was passed by Congress with overwhelming bipartisan support and signed into law by President Biden on June 17, 2021. It became Public Law 117–17.

Each year, the Library of Congress highlights significant anniversaries and historical milestones. Its “Today in History” feature for June 19 not only explains the origins of Juneteenth but connects it to broader historical currents in U.S. legal and social history, including the Emancipation Proclamation and Reconstruction.

The Law Library of Congress has compiled a legislative history of the holiday’s creation, including bill texts, floor statements, and related documents. This collection reveals the evolving recognition of Juneteenth in federal law and its symbolic importance in modern civil rights discourse.

Research Guides on Juneteenth and Emancipation

Several law libraries and public institutions have created research guides that curate key primary sources, case law, legislation, and scholarly commentary related to Juneteenth and emancipation.

• University of San Diego School of Law: Offers a Juneteenth guide with links to legislative history, primary documents, and recommended readings.

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• Hawai‘i State Law Library: Provides an overview of Juneteenth with links to resources and public education tools.

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These guides are particularly useful for educators, students, and legal researchers seeking entry points into more specialized legal databases and collections.

Ultimately, legal history is not only about statutes and court opinions. Instead, it is about the lived consequences of the law. The story of Juneteenth reminds us that emancipation did not arrive all at once or with equal clarity across the United States. Documents like General Order No. 3, legal archives of slavery and abolition, and the modern laws recognizing Juneteenth help us piece together a legal history that is often fragmented, contested, and unfinished.

Preserving these records and making them widely accessible ensures that the story of freedom is not lost. These collections honor the truth of what happened, while also supporting education, advocacy, and reflection on the law’s potential for justice. The more we preserve, the more we remember, and the better equipped we are to move forward.

The Importance of Preserving Legal Information During Government Transitions

In times of government transition, whether it’s a change in administration or a shift in key political offices, preserving legal information becomes crucial. Legal records not only provide continuity and consistency in governance, but they also ensure accountability, transparency, and historical accuracy. For archivists and preservation specialists, these periods of transition present both challenges and opportunities to reinforce the role of legal information preservation in supporting a democratic society.

Why Preservation of Legal Information Matters

Legal information—ranging from legislative texts to court decisions, agency rulings, and executive orders—is far more than a collection of documents; it serves as the legal foundation of a nation's framework. This information chronicles not only the enactment of laws but also their interpretation, adaptation, and procedural evolution. During periods of government transition, access to this information becomes critically important for ensuring accountability, continuity and stability, transparency, and historical understanding.

Preserved legal information is essential for holding new administrations accountable to the legal precedents, commitments, and obligations established by their predecessors. This accountability is vital for understanding how laws have evolved and how current interpretations align—or diverge—from those of the past.

Access to historical legal information also provides continuity, a cornerstone of stability in any legal system. For newly appointed leaders and lawmakers, understanding the context, constraints, and implications of prior legal decisions and legislation ensures a seamless transition and informed decision-making.

In democratic societies, the preservation of legal information embodies public trust. Citizens have the right to access the legal documents that shape their rights, responsibilities, and freedoms. By safeguarding and providing access to this information, archivists and librarians play a critical role in supporting transparency, public oversight, and civic engagement.

Finally, legal information is deeply interconnected with the social, economic, and political contexts in which it was created. Preserving this information allows historians and future generations to examine the rationale behind decisions, offering a comprehensive view of the evolution of law and governance over time.

Challenges During Transitions

Government transitions often bring changes in policy that can influence what is preserved, what is discarded, and what is made accessible. For instance, some information might be sensitive or classified, and new administrations may have different priorities regarding what remains publicly accessible. There are several key challenges preservation professionals may face during these times:

• Risk of Information Loss: Data can be inadvertently or intentionally lost in transitions, especially when departments are reorganized, or when digital records are not adequately backed up or migrated. Without proper protocols, historically significant documents may be at risk.

• Resource Constraints: Transitions can strain resources in archival and preservation institutions as teams work to keep up with rapid changes, retire outdated records, and adapt to new technological requirements.

• Political Pressures: Different administrations may view the importance of certain records differently. This may lead to prioritizing some documents over others or, in some cases, restricting access to certain types of information.

Preservation Strategies in Times of Transition

To address these challenges, professionals in archival and preservation fields must take proactive measures to safeguard legal information. With much of today’s legal information stored digitally, preservation specialists must prioritize strategies to ensure continued accessibility as technology evolves. This involves employing practices such as regular backups, format migration, and advanced digital preservation techniques to maintain the integrity and authenticity of digital information.

The implementation of metadata standards is a key component of efficient organization, retrieval, and understanding of legal information. Detailed and standardized metadata ensures accessibility and usability, even amid changes in administrative structures. By adopting these standards, future administrations and the public will have a more reliable means of locating and utilizing essential legal information.

Redundancy is another critical safeguard against information loss. Establishing both physical and digital redundancies, such as multiple backup locations or copies in varied formats, provides an added layer of protection. These measures reduce the risk of catastrophic loss, particularly during periods of reorganization or staff turnover.

Training and advocacy are equally important in promoting effective preservation practices. Archivists and preservationists can partner with government agencies to emphasize the importance of preservation, deliver training on best practices, and advocate for sustained funding. These efforts ensure the long-term protection of valuable legal information and foster a culture of preservation awareness.

Finally, legal and policy advocacy is vital for protecting legal information. Preservation advocates can influence policies by lobbying for clear archival laws and championing regulations that prioritize the retention and safeguarding of these critical documents. Through these efforts, professionals play a pivotal role in mitigating risks and ensuring the integrity of legal information for future generations.

Government transitions present a unique opportunity to emphasize the critical importance of preservation in maintaining the legal and historical foundation of a nation. For preservation professionals, the responsibility is clear: safeguarding legal information for current and future generations is essential to ensuring transparency and accountability in governance. By adopting robust preservation strategies and advocating for sustainable policies, we can protect the accessibility and integrity of the nation’s legal heritage, even amid transitions of power. In times of change, preserved legal information serves not merely as a record of the past but as a cornerstone of democracy, continuity, and accountability.