‘More visibility’: Students celebrate annual Latine Heritage Month kick-off event
The theme of this year’s Latine Heritage Month is “Home is Where We Build It: Latine Contributions to the U.S.” The theme highlights both the hardships and successes of Latino people, organizer Luis Gomez said. Zabdyl Koffa | Staff Photographer
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As students entered the lower level of Schine Student Center on Monday afternoon, the overwhelming aroma of food like sweet plantains and churros took over. Tables offered candies from a variety of Latine cultures, as well as flyers promoting registered student organizations and clubs.
“The Latino pocket in Syracuse is small, and events like these help us get more visibility, help us show our culture to more people,” Sarah Torres, a Syracuse University senior, said.
Monday, Sept. 15 marked the beginning of Latine Heritage Month, which runs through Oct. 15 every year. The SU departments of Belonging and Student Success and Student Experience collaborated with Student Government Association to create an event dedicated to launching the month on campus.
Organizations including the Mexican Student Association and the South American and Latine Student Association set up tables to promote their organizations. Student-run organizations such as CitrusTV Noticias, La L.U.C.H.A. and La Casita Cultural Center tabled as well.
The year and event’s official theme is “Home is Where We Build It: Latine Contributions to the U.S.” Chief of Staff of SGA, Luis Gomez, was the brains behind this year’s theme.
Gomez wanted a theme that simultaneously encompassed the beauty of Latine Heritage Month, while also highlighting the hardships the community has faced, he said.
“Latino people have found a way to persevere and to succeed and to make a home for themselves while not taking away (from), but rather enriching the culture in the United States,” Gomez said.
La Bachata Rebelde, a bachata and merengue style band, performed live. It was founded by Puerto Rican siblings Thalia and Julio Pabón in 2022. They performed an original song titled “Inmortal,” composed by Anthony Canchani, who’s also of Puerto Rican descent.
“It’s more in sharing the music, you know, the beats, the traditions that…(come from) sharing our culture with people,” Thalia said.
Students experienced many different combinations of cultures at the event, Yasim Paez, president of SALSA said. Paez said she plans to celebrate Latine Heritage Month by showing up for her peers and celebrating all of the other Latin organizations on SU’s campus.
Student organizations like the Mexican Student Association tabled at the kickoff event. Tables helped inform students about ways to find their community on campus. Zabdyl Koffa | Staff Photographer
“(I’m) going to other organizations’ events because it’s not just about all of our culture, but it’s also about celebrating all the other Latin orgs here on campus,” she said.
When Torres arrived on campus her freshman year, she immediately found an organization to join: Puerto Rican Student Association. She said the organization became a space for her to be herself and to grow as a leader.
Torres is now vice president of the Puerto Rican Student Association and a member of a sorority in the National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations, Inc. at SU. Torres found it interesting how many organizations there are on campus that represent the different parts of Latino identity.
Junior Cesar Barrera, treasurer for MEXSA, decided to table at Monday’s event because he believes in the importance of fostering a community for the Mexican population.
“We want to spread to new students about what we do,” Barrera said. “Spread the Mexican culture, but also other cultures around.”
Barrera said he met lots of new people and introduced them to the club through tabling and spreading his culture. He said his favorite part of tabling was bringing awareness to the variety of clubs available at SU.
Thalia enjoyed sharing La Bachata Rebelde’s music and traditions with others during Latine Heritage Month, she said. Canchani also enjoyed sharing their band’s work, but most of all, the engagement that they received from sharing their music, he said.
Though Sept. 15 marks the beginning of Latine Heritage Month, there’s nothing stopping people from celebrating any other day of the year, he said.
“I celebrate every day. Every time I wake up, I celebrate being Latino,” Canchani said.
