Celebrating Latinx Heritage Month 2024!
An important time to honor Hispanic and Latinx Americans and their many contributions to American life.
Sunday, September 15 through Tuesday, October 15 is designated as Latinx Heritage Month (known, too, as National Hispanic Heritage Month). It is an important time to celebrate Hispanic and Latinx Americans in our country as well as their cultures and many contributions to American life.
I have been learning about how Saint Mary’s honors the Latinx community during this period. One of the signature events coming up next month, for instance, is our Baile Folklorico’s Día de Los Muertos event on October 25. It sounds fantastic!
There is a wealth of events happening around the Bay Area that our AVP/Senior Diversity Officer, Dr. Terri Jett and her office helpfully curated for the ODEI’s most recent newsletter. I am happy to list some of those events here:
Loteria Game Night | Tuesday, September 17
7:30–8:30 p.m. here on the Saint Mary’s campus at our Intercultural Center
Hosted by our La Hermandad student club, Loteria Night will kick off Hispanic Heritage Month here at SMC with some fun and snacks!
BrazilianFestSF | Sunday, October 13
The Crossing at East Cut in San Francisco
This family-friendly and admission-free series of events has a rich entertainment program that includes dance classes, performances, live music, a variety of Brazilian treats curated by local chefs, activities for kids, soccer, and much more.
Día San José: A Day of the Dead Festival | Saturday, October 19
11 a.m. – 7 p.m., Plaza de Cesar Chavez, downtown San José
A traditional Mexican celebration in Downtown San Jose that celebrates family and culture; and a day of remembrance and celebration in honor of the dead. This year’s theme is El Cielo Esta De Fiesta.
BAILA! Community. Dance. Party | Friday, September 20
8 p.m. – 1 a.m., La Peña Cultural Center, Berkeley
This event will feature the band Orquesta Borinquen, led by Bill Ortega Jr., which brings together some of the top musicians in the Bay Area Salsa scene. Tickets can be purchased in advance. They’ll have two dance floors and free dance classes to start the night!
Los Cochinos, an established Latin rock and soul band | Saturday, September 21
1–4 p.m., Vino Godfather Winery, Vallejo
Known as one of the only original Latin Rock and Soul bands that continue to create and perform original music in the style of Santana!
Jenny and the Mexicats | Sunday, September 22
7 p.m., Freight & Salvage, Berkeley
“By combining influences of jazz, flamenco, acoustic folk, and rockabilly, Jenny and the Mexicats ensure that every performance is a unique musical adventure concocting a fantastic fusion of rhythms, which varies from feel-good dance-able songs to sensitive moments of timeless musical expression.”
Wow! The music alone is reason enough to check out one or more of these events!
We also learned this morning about the Brother Camillus Chávez ILaLS Student Award created by our Institute for Latino and Latin American Studies (ILaLS). I encourage our Gael students to apply and support your Latinx-focused academic or community work!
Also here on campus, the Intercultural Center is featuring a display of library books related to Latine/Latinx Heritage Month. There is also a digital display that offers links to all sorts of print books and ebooks on the topic of Hispanic heritage.
Finally, I would also like to point out that Saint Mary’s has been designated by the White House and the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). An HSI is defined in part as an institution that has an enrollment of undergraduate full-time equivalent students that is at least 25 percent Hispanic students. This HSI designation shows that we are committed to a diverse student body, but it also has tangible benefits as it provides a variety of grant and funding opportunities for our students and faculty.
I congratulate and thank the students, faculty, and staff of Saint Mary’s College for joining me in honoring and celebrating the richness of our diverse community throughout Latinx Heritage Month—and every day!
Go Gaels!
Roger J. Thompson, EdD
President
