Hispanic Heritage Month is a celebration of the cultures, traditions and stories that have shaped communities across the United States. Here in Austin, one of those stories lives in the heart of downtown. 

The Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center, lovingly known as the MACC, is dedicated to preserving, creating, presenting and promoting the cultural arts of Mexican Americans and Latino communities.

"A lot of folks don't realize that Rainey Street was a Mexican-American neighborhood," said Olivia Tamzarian, Arts and Culture Program Supervisor at the MACC. "So holding space here in Central Austin for that history and allowing people to come back and experience it in this neighborhood is incredibly special and important."

The story of the MACC began decades before its doors opened. In the early 1970s, during the height of the Chicano Movement in Austin, Mexican American and Latino Artists, educators and community leaders recognized the need for a space dedicated to cultural arts, education and programming.

After nearly 40 years of advocacy and community efforts, construction finally began in 2005. The MACC officially opened its doors on September 15, 2007, and was renamed in honor of Emma S. Barrientos in 2011.

"There's not as many places in Austin that celebrate Latino culture as we could have," Tamzarian said. "This is one of those spaces."

For Austin FC, celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month means celebrating the many cultures and communities that help make Austin what it is. From Mexico and Central and South America to the Caribbean, the 20 Spanish-speaking countries represented during the month are part of a story that continues to shape our city.