Many don’t know, but Hispanic Heritage month runs from September 15th to October 15th. It is odd that it doesn’t run through one specific month but there is a reasonable reason why. It all starts with “Central American neighbors,” as President Lyndon B. Johnson called them. They celebrate Independence Day on the 15th of September since 1821, this includes Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua.
It continued throughout the month as many more Latin American countries gained independence throughout the month of September. Originally Hispanic Heritage month was only a week to observe Hispanic achievements.
In 1987 U.S. Representative Esteban E. Torres of California proposed to move this from a one-week observation to a 31-day period. It would give more time for events and activities to celebrate Hispanic culture.
Hispanic Heritage month continuously gains more popularity each year. Cites have parades and night events with Hispanic vendors and live music, but it has also become popular in schools. Having a large population of Hispanic students allows school to come together and celebrate the culture of the students.
Some activities that are included in schools are Hispanic Heritage night, where students put together a presentation to parents’ family and faculty about Hispanic culture. Some do door decorating contests and even spirit week to celebrate the students around them.
At Eureka, there has recently been an increase in diversity of students, but this begs the question: what has the school done to make those students feel recognized? As of now, the college has had a Lunch and Learn lecture by Dr. Adrianna Martinez, an Associate Professor of Music, that gave students an introduction to Mexican music.
“I was happy to give the Lunch and Learn lecture on Mexican music for Hispanic Heritage month, and particularly, I was gratified that it was very well attended. I don’t know if there were other events for Hispanic Heritage month, so I would like to see more college-wide events and activities advertised,” Dr. Martinez said. “These events are important for both celebrating our increasing population of Hispanic students, so they feel comfortable and welcome at EC, but also to educate our entire community on the rich cultures that are represented here.”
It seems like Hispanic Heritage month is forgotten, but there are so many activates sponsored by current clubs/organizations during other long month celebrations. This includes Black History Month and Pride Month, but Hispanic Heritage month could be incorporated in all of this.
Some students on campus also feel like the campus should do more for this month.
“I did not get the opportunity to witness my school celebrate Hispanic Heritage month. The most that would occur to recognize Hispanic culture was in Spanish class, where even then it was limited to the classroom” Jose Amador said.
Even though it wasn’t as seen or celebrated in his high school Amador expected a lot more from college.
“I have seen that some teachers have done lectures that teach about Hispanic Heritage, whether it be through the women or the music of the culture… last year when a performer and musician came and talked about the women of Hispanic origin,” Jose Amador said.
He also wants to see more done outside the classroom. He wants the college to acknowledge Hispanic Heritage month more, instead of just a couple of teachers.
For this reason, the Multicultural Club should be brought back. This club would require work from multiple students across campus. To bring the Multicultural Club back would require four criteria to be filled.
1. Consulting with the designated Office of Student Life advisor.
2. Recruiting members to the proposed organization by holding informational meetings if needed, and finding an advisor from the Eureka College faculty, staff, or administration.
3. Writing a proposed constitution using the guidelines outlined in the Student Organization Handbook.
4. Submitting a copy of the proposed student organization constitution, a list of at least five members and the name of an advisor, to the Office of Student Life.
All this for just one student is a lot to take on. This process takes time and effort from multiple students, but the outcome could be a huge step in understanding different cultures.
As the years progress, Eureka College continues to grow not just in population, but also in culture. Understanding and including these events by getting students in their culture to provide knowledge and ideas is a way to give everyone on campus a place of comfort and peace of home. It is more than just comfort though. It’s an opportunity for voice and community.
