"Somos St. Louis”: Celebrating Latino Stories That Are Also St. Louis History
By Red Latina STL
ST. LOUIS, Missouri. During Hispanic Heritage Month 2026, organizations, businesses, educational institutions, and community groups throughout the region are invited to unite around one shared message: “Somos St. Louis,” an initiative that seeks to recognize the Latino people, places, stories, and contributions that are part of the identity and development of St. Louis.
The campaign is presented in partnership with the Missouri Historical Society and draws inspiration from its “I Am St. Louis” storytelling initiative, which highlights the people, places, and moments that have helped shape the history of our region.
“Latino History Is St. Louis History”
At the heart of Somos St. Louis is a simple but meaningful message: “Latino history is St. Louis history.” The initiative emphasizes that the Latino presence in our region is not a story separate from St. Louis, but part of the collective history of a community that continues to grow, evolve, and contribute to the city and surrounding region.
From families and business owners to artists, workers, students, professionals, leaders, and community organizations, Latino stories are part of the social, economic, and cultural fabric of St. Louis.
A Campaign That Belongs to the Entire Community
One of the most important aspects of Somos St. Louis is that it is not intended to represent a single voice or a single experience.
The Hispanic Leaders Group helped launch the campaign, but the intention is for the concept to be embraced and interpreted by the entire community throughout Hispanic Heritage Month.
Cultural societies, Latino-serving organizations, businesses, schools, community groups, and partners throughout the region are encouraged to participate and use Somos St. Louis to tell their own stories.
The campaign provides logos, templates, and other materials to make participation easier. However, organizers encourage each institution to personalize them by incorporating photographs of community members, organizational histories, testimonials, cultural traditions, and recognition of local leaders.
Many Cultures, One Shared Story
The Latino community of St. Louis is made up of people from many countries, generations, and experiences.
Precisely because of that diversity, Somos St. Louis proposes using a shared message without asking individual communities to give up their own identities. Instead, the initiative invites organizations and participants to showcase what makes their culture unique while recognizing their connection to St. Louis.
Organizations can highlight people and places important to their communities, remember historical moments, share cultural stories, recognize current contributions, and introduce new generations that continue to transform our region.
The goal is for different organizations throughout Hispanic Heritage Month to tell their own versions of one shared story: Latinos are here, they belong in St. Louis, and they have contributed — and continue to contribute — to the history of our region.
An Invitation to Tell Our Own Stories
The message also represents an invitation for the community to document its own history.
A family photograph, the story of a business founded decades ago, an organization that opened doors for new generations, a cultural festival, a restaurant, an artist, a worker, a student, or a community leader can all become part of Somos St. Louis.
It is not only about looking at the past. The campaign also seeks to show how Latino communities continue to influence the present and participate in building the future of St. Louis.
Support From Organizations Across the Region
The initiative is already generating support among community organizations and leaders.
Suzanne Sierra, Executive Director of the St. Louis Mosaic Project, thanked Ben Molina for his consistency in bringing the community together during Hispanic Heritage Month and recognized the Missouri Historical Society for its important role in St. Louis.
Sierra also indicated that the St. Louis Mosaic Project will help highlight the initiative through @stl.parati throughout the month.
“We are here. We are part of St. Louis. Somos St. Louis.”
More than a slogan for a month-long celebration, Somos St. Louis represents an opportunity to recognize that every family story, every business, every organization, every tradition, and every contribution from our community also helps write the history of the region.
Because celebrating Hispanic Heritage also means recognizing something fundamental:
Our history is part of St. Louis history.
How to Participate
Organizations, businesses, schools, and community groups interested in participating can use the Somos St. Louis campaign materials and customize them to share the stories of their own communities throughout Hispanic Heritage Month.
Campaign logos and materials: stlhlg.org/somos
Red Latina also invites our community to celebrate, preserve, and share the stories of those who have made — and continue to make — St. Louis their home.
Share Your Story and Be Part of Somos St. Louis
Red Latina invites families, organizations, businesses, students, artists, and members of our community to share their own stories during Hispanic Heritage Month. Post a photo, a memory, the story of your family, business, or organization, or recognize someone who has made a difference in our community. When sharing on social media, tag Red Latina STL so we can discover and help amplify these stories, and use the hashtags #SomosStLouis #RedLatinaSTL #RedLatinaInforma #SeguimosCreciendo #LatinNetwork. We want social media to be filled with the voices and faces that reflect a reality that brings us together: we are here, we are part of this city, and our history is also St. Louis history.
Click here to read the full story from Red Latina STL, also available in Spanish.
