UHCL celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month with panels and socials
Faculty and students at the University of Houston-Clear Lake (UHCL) are planning to hold events in honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month, which lasts from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15.
In 1988, to celebrate the culture, history and contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans, President Ronald Reagan expanded Hispanic Heritage Week to a 30-day month period. The period includes independence days for eight Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua on Sept. 15, Mexico on Sept. 16, Chile on Sept. 18, and Belize on Sept. 21.
The number of Hispanic and Latino students at UHCL has been increasing since 2010. The Office of Institutional Effectiveness reports on its website that in fall 2017, UHCL consisted of 2,776 Hispanic/Latino undergraduate and graduate students, accounting for 32.5 percent of the total enrollment.
UHCL is a designated Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), which is defined as a college or university with at least 25 percent of full-time equivalent undergraduate students who are Hispanic. As an HSI, UHCL is eligible to receive HSI-related federal funds.
Latinx and Latin American Studies minor program (LLAS) at UHCL will be holding a “Meet & Greet” panel discussion Oct. 10 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. in the Garden Room. Desdamona Rios, associate professor of social psychology and director of Latinx and Latin American studies, said that this year is LLAS’s third year. Therefore, “one of [LLAS’s plans] is to increase the visibility” of the minor on campus. Rios said besides promoting LLAS, having more people know that UHCL is an HSI is also a goal that the faculty is aiming for.
The panel will include Rios, Wanalee Romero, director of the first-year seminar program and lecturer in humanities/Latinx and Latin American studies, and Christina Cedillo, assistant professor of writing and rhetoric. Student representative Erica Solis will moderate the discussion along with Roberta Leal, assistant professor of social work.
Rios said the faculty agreed to have a student moderate the panel because the faculty wanted to “behaviorally demonstrate that [they] want students to be involved with LLAS.”
The panel discussion will be covering the research LLAS is doing and will be open for informal conversations afterward. Rios hopes that students, regardless of their race, gender and research interests, will come and participate in the discussion.
“You don’t have to be a Latinx,” Rios said. “The faculty are all open to having all kinds of discussions with students.”
Hispanics Advancing Culture, Education and Rights (H.A.C.E.R.) is rebuilding its group this semester, so the student organization will not have any events ready for National Hispanic Heritage Month. However, they will be sponsoring LLAS’s “Meet & Greet” panel discussion event.
H.A.C.E.R. hopes to expand and be more active during this school year. Ximena Flandes, president of H.A.C.E.R., said the organization is trying to create “coalition-building activities” to bring awareness to Hispanic culture and any events that threaten the community, especially political issues.
“Right now, we’re low-profile, so we want to be known; we want to be felt,” said Brandon Hernandez, vice president of H.A.C.E.R.
As the faculty adviser of H.A.C.E.R., Cedillo sets out two goals for this semester: educating students on Latino values and celebrating the beauty of the community’s culture.
Cedillo said besides promoting the minor on campus, LLAS is working closely with H.A.C.E.R. to expand the profile of the student organization.
“It’s not just the faculty teaching and offering degrees, but it’s also the efforts of the students,” Cedillo said. “It’s them that allow us to do what we do, and we’re working together.”
Other offices on campus are also preparing events for National Hispanic Heritage Month. The Alfred R. Neumann Library is holding a Hispanic Heritage Month book display until Oct. 15. The display is a combination of books about Hispanic culture and history, and biographies of Hispanic individuals.
The Office of Student Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (SDEI) will be co-sponsoring LLAS’s “Meet & Greet” panel discussion event with H.A.C.E.R. SDEI will also be hosting “Ven a Jugar” Oct. 2 from noon to 2 p.m. in the SDEI office (SSCB 1.203) for the UHCL community to play Loteria, Dominoes and Uno.
SDEI will be holding “Hispanic/Latinx/o/a Conversation” Oct. 4 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in the Student Organizations room. The conversation is a part of a “Critical Conversation” series, which discuss topics related to people from a certain demographic. “Hispanic/Latinx/o/a Conversation” will be covering the controversy about the terms Hispanic, Latino, Latina, Latinx and other terms used to identify one particular group of people.
The Signal is collaborating with SDEI and the Office of Orientation and New Student Programs to host a “Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month” Signal Social Oct. 4 from 9 to 11 a.m. in the SSCB Lobby. Pan dulce (Mexican sweet bread) and coffee will be offered. Attendees will also get to play Hispanic pop culture trivia quiz.
“Some said we shouldn’t be minimized to just a month,” Solis said. “ But I’d say let’s take advantage of the month that we do have and showcase the culture and the contributions that the Hispanic community has.”
