Hispanic Heritage Month Launched With Music, Culture and A Line-Up of Events
Rutgers University–Newark kicked off Latine & Hispanic Heritage Month with a mariachi band and a spotlight on students eager to share their cultural traditions and history.
Hosted by the Intercultural Resource Center, the event marked the start of a month of programming built around this year's theme, "Somos Su Sueño: We Are Our Ancestors' Wildest Dreams."
Student organizations representing a range of Latine backgrounds distributed information, while other cultural groups and clubs, including the Haitian club and History Society, also participated. The band providing music was Mariachi Reyes de New York.
Keynote speaker Isabel Elliott, RU-N Alumna, who now works as an EOF Counselor for Saint Peter's University in Jersey City, shared her story as a first-generation student who thrived after finding a place for herself at RU-N.
“I wanted to be with people who looked like me and understood me and wanted me to be more comfortable in myself,’’ she said. “Rutgers-Newark made me a better person, academically and socially.’’
For Mia Castillo, president of the Peruvian American Cultural Association, a student club, the event was a display of unity and a celebration of what makes each culture and nationality unique.
"Even if not everyone's Latin, it's all-inclusive. And I think that's what I love the most. Just seeing all these different cultures and all these different races come together,’’ said Castillo, a fourth-year student majoring in Criminal Justice with a minor in Psychology.
Castillo herself was one of the event’s main attractions She danced and posed for photos in a furry cuy costume (a cuy is a type of guinea pig), while student Eric Maldonado was dressed as an alpaca. Both are beloved symbols of Peruvian culture.
Castillo said the costumes have been a hit on social media.
"We've definitely gotten so much attention and one of our TikToks really blew up because everyone was like, 'Oh my God, there's Peruvian culture at Rutgers–Newark,’’’ she said.
In addition to marking Hispanic Heritage Month, it’s also Hispanic Serving Institution HSI) month nationwide, and Rutgers-Newark is an HSI, a designation that recognizes schools where at least 25 percent of students are Hispanic. At RU-N, the total is 35 percent.
Last year, Rutgers-Newark also received the Seal of Excelencia from Excelencia in Education, an honor that recognizes institutions that go beyond enrollment to intentionally serve Latine students,
"Both designations reflect our intentional, daily commitment to nurturing Latine talent, along with the talents of every student, honoring our rich ‘cultura’ (culture), and creating space where every student truly thrives and succeeds,’’ said Gary Santos Mendoza, director of the Intercultural Resource Center.
The Hispanic Heritage kickoff event opened a month of activities that continue through Oct. 17. Upcoming programs include “Beyond the Barrio: Real History of Immigration to Newark” on Sept. 28, which will examine the history of immigration and Latine communities in the city, and Fiesta Latina on Sept. 30, featuring bachata dancing and community activities.
Additional events include Many Roots, One Campus Farmer's Market and the Latino/Hispanic Heritage Courtyard Celebration on Oct. 7, both focused on culture and community, as well as Heritage & Horizons: Professional Pathways on Oct. 12, which will explore cultural identity and career leadership. The celebration concludes Oct. 17 with NJPAC's Hispanic/Latine Heritage Month Celebration, featuring music, dance, poetry and art.
