Hispanic Heritage Month for Centenary Students
From September 15 to October 15, Hispanic Heritage Month is annual celebrated by the U.S. Latinx and Hispanic communities. The event, which remembers the history and cultures of these people, commemorates how those communities have changed and contributed to American society. The term Hispanic or Latino (or Latinx, the more recent term) indicates to a person’s culture or origin—regardless of race.
In honor of this month, we asked some Centenary students who are members of the Latinx community how they celebrate HHM, as well as their culture.
How do you celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month?
Student 1: I celebrate by continuing to practice traditions that me and my family have during this month. Every Friday, my family would get together and make a dish that was specific to our culture.
Student 2: Honestly, I don’t really celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. My parents do sometimes bring up Mexico’s Independence Day, and that’s usually when I remember that it’s HHM; it’s also around the same time that it starts.
What traditions are important to you?
Student 1: I think the tradition that is most important to me is the preparation for making an ofrenda. This is the time when we gather up photos of our family members who have passed and retell stories about them. For my family at , it’s to remember those who came before us and to remember our roots.
Student 2: I’m so used to doing certain things throughout the year, that I sometimes forget/don’t realize they’re not traditional things most families do, but our traditions are something I always look forward to! Coming soon, I’d say that my family’s Christmas traditions are something I especially look forward to. It’s a time in the year where we can gather all together and see people we hadn’t seen in a while, while also enjoying traditional food and celebrating the birth of Jesus. It’s colder around that time so we have champurrado, hot chocolate, or coffee with pan dulce. We also eat tamales during the wintertime. Oftentimes, my family does most of the celebration on Christmas Eve and on Christmas Day we open presents while eating leftovers from the night before. After Christmas, we also celebrate Día de los Tres Reyes Magos. We also celebrate our version of Children’s Day on April 30th. We also celebrate Mother’s Day twice every year, with one of them being on May 10th and the other on the second Sunday of May.
Would you like to see Centenary plan some events for Hispanic Heritage Month in the future? What could Centenary be doing better to support you?
Student 1: I would like Centenary to have more programs (events on campus) that bring awareness about Hispanic heritage. This month often goes unnoticed by people and the community, and I feel that bringing speakers and events that can educate people be a potential solution. I wish Centenary would have more professors or personnel that identify as Hispanic. It’s true what they say that representation matters…
Student 2: I would like for Hispanic students to have more visibility just because often times you don’t even realize there are more Hispanic students then what you might think there are.
To learn more about Hispanic Heritage Month:
History of Hispanic Heritage Month
How to Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month
