How To Get Instagram's #LatinxHeritageMonth Stickers & Effects

Tuesday, Sept. 15 marked the start of Latinx and Hispanic Heritage Month, a time to dedicated to celebrating the stories, voices, and history of the Latinx and Hispanic community. In honor of the month, Instagram has launched a few new features highlighting Latinx artists on the platform. If you’re looking to celebrate, checking out Instagram’s Latinx Heritage Month stickers and AR effects is an easy place to start.

Per a blog post from Facebook, Instagram’s parent company, the new Instagram stickers feature work by three Latinx artists: Camila Rosa, Dia Pacheco, and Gabriela Alemán. From now until Oct. 15, the end Latinx Heritage Month, when you add one of the featured stickers or AR effect to your Story, your Story ring will light up yellow and green.

Here’s how you can get Instagram’s Latinx Heritage Month stickers and AR effects.

• Make sure your app is up-to-date. You’ll need the latest version of Instagram to see the new effects.
• Open Instagram and swipe left to access your Story, as per usual. You know the drill by now.
• Click on the Sticker icon. You should see the three Latinx Heritage Month stickers at the top. If you search “Latinx”, they’ll be the first three stickers on top.
• Add the stickers to your story. Don’t forget to tag the artists!

To access the AR effect, swipe through the filters and effects next to the button you tap to take a picture or video. If it isn’t popping up as one of the first featured effects, go to Browse Effects and search “Highlight by Instagram.” If you don’t want to swipe to the end of the featured effect, tap on the drop-down menu below any filter or effect. You’ll see the Browse Effects option there.

You can also see more of Instagram’s featured Latinx creators on their official page's story highlights. So far, they've featured Brazilian-American artist June Ferreira Canedo de Souza whose recent documentary film Beachhead explores the experiences of Brazilians who have immigrated to the U.S. and what the "American dream" means and looks like for them. The film has a GoFundMe to help support its creation.

Aside from updating your Instagram Story and checking out some of the featured creators, there are plenty of other ways to celebrate Latinx Heritage Month. Read books by Latinx authors — checking out books promoted by the organization Latinx in Publishing is a great place to start. Stream Latinx movies and shows. Listen to music by Latinx artists. You can also donate to organizations dedicated to causes within the Latinx community, like RAICES, the Latino Equality Alliance, and the Latino Community Foundation to show your support during Latinx Heritage Month and beyond.