Celebrating Latinx voices

By Madeline Marriott ’24

Throughout September and October, Lafayette and the Office of Intercultural Development (OID) will join nationwide celebrations of Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month. 

Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month was first commemorated at the federal level in 1968 with a weeklong celebration and was extended to a monthlong event in 1988. The 30-day period of Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 honors several anniversaries of independence in Central and South American countries, including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Chile, as well as the anniversary of the beginning of the Mexican War of Independence. 

The celebrations honor the history, influence, and contributions of Latinx and Hispanic communities in the United States and beyond. 

“The month offers our entire community a chance to engage with Latinx culture through storytelling, food, music, history, cultural immersion, and reflection,” says Kimberly Weatherly, OID’s executive director. “Students add so much tapestry to the College and who we are. Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month allows us to intentionally celebrate that vibrant part of our community, its richness, its resilience, and its cultural pride.”

Throughout the month, OID will partner with student organizations like the Hispanic Society of Lafayette (HSL) for events and discussions centering around Latinx/Hispanic identities. Weatherly notes that HSL will follow a new model implemented last year to collaborate on events with other student organizations to bring more visibility, share resources, and widen the celebration. This year, HSL will collaborate with the Hispanic Finance Association, Association of Black Collegians, Lafayette African and Caribbean Student Association, Phi Sigma Chi multicultural fraternity, and Mu Sigma Upsilon sorority.

“Hispanic Heritage Month allows me to honor my Mexican and Guatemalan heritage. I’m extremely proud to be Latina because I know the incredible impact our communities have had, and continue to have, across so many fields, from the arts and sciences to politics. I feel that during this political climate, it has become even more important for these celebrations to take place.” -Jadelyn Camey-Alvarez ’27 | Photo by JaQuan Alston

The month’s events will kick off Sept. 15 with Rep Your Flag, which sees the hanging of Latin American flags around the atrium in Farinon College Center. 

Later that week, HSL will host Latinx Fest Sept. 18—a celebration with live music, food, games, and more in Anderson Courtyard. 

“I’m particularly excited for Latinx Fest, which is our biggest celebration,” says HSL president Jadelyn Camey-Alvarez ’27. “We always have amazing music, great food, and an amazing community of students ready to celebrate their roots. This year, I’m looking forward to having other cultural clubs present during the celebration, hosting games for everyone to enjoy. I hope everyone on campus feels welcome to celebrate along with us. These events are great spaces to learn, connect, and recognize the value cultural diversity brings to campus.” 

Additional events include a Jeopardy! night, discussion of navigating challenges as Latinx students, movie night in Farinon’s Limburg Theater, and a celebration of Afro-Latino music. 

“Hispanic Heritage Month is important to me because as a first-generation Mexican, there should be a voice for all the students with similar backgrounds like me who may not want to speak out on their experiences but still want to be heard.” -Cielo Valdez Badachi ’28 | Photo by JaQuan Alston

“I hope people outside of the Hispanic/Latinx community will take part in these celebrations,” says Cielo Valdez Badachi ’28, HSL secretary. “Although we all might be from different backgrounds, we can all learn from each other, and I think Hispanic Heritage Month allows us to do this by getting together and sharing our experiences with food, fun events, and lively music here at Lafayette.”

Finally, the month’s events close Oct. 15 with a Taste of Latinx, a lunchtime feast in Farinon where students can enjoy home-cooked meals from various Latin American cuisines and learn about their cultures. 

“Through OID’s programs, Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month becomes more than a moment; it’s a movement toward inclusion, affirmation, and belonging at Lafayette,” Weatherly says.