Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month
Sept. 16, 2024
Dear Brandeis Community,
We are excited to announce our recognition and celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month at Brandeis!
According to the Library of Congress: Each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month by celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. The observation started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period starting on September 15 and ending on October 15. The day of September 15 is significant because it is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September 18, respectively. Also, Día de la Raza, which is October 12, falls within this 30-day period.
To celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month on our campus, we have some exciting student club events and resources in our library that we encourage you to explore.
- The Brandeis International Business School will be hosting Veronica Robles, the founder of the first all female Mariachi group in Boston on Friday, September, 20th from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Join us for dancing, refreshments, and food in the World Court at the International Business School.
- The Brandeis Latinx Student Organization will be hosting the annual showcase Incendio on October 19th in the Levin Ballroom from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. More details will be shared as they become available. We encourage you to follow the Brandeis Latinx Student Organization through CampusGroups, or on Instagram @blso98 for more information and other events.
Our Brandeis Library also has a plethora of online resources, include the following:
- The Library supports Brandeis Alum Shelley Polanco and installed her photographic display La Fuerza de Brandeis on Goldfarb 1 near the elevators.
- Visit the library to check out a book from our Latinx and Hispanic Heritage Month display, on Farber Level 1 around the corner from Starbucks between September 15 October 15. Find books by Hispanic and Latinx authors, and books about Latinx and Hispanic identity, history, culture, and politics. Be sure to also check out our ebook collection in DeisGallery!
- Online resources maintained by the Brandeis Library including databases in Hispanic Studies and in Latin American, Caribbean and Latinx Studies.
- University Archives and Special Collections is home to a range of materials documenting the experiences of Latinx students at Brandeis, including a video from a 2021 panel celebrating the 50th anniversary of Latinx students at Brandeis.
- The activities of GRITO, a student organization that worked to increase and support the Latinx population both at Brandeis and throughout the Waltham area, are documented in Student Activism and other collections.
- A 15-minute film created by Maria Rodriguez ‘75 and her son Dioni Gomez
- Several faculty collections, most notably the papers of Denah Lida and Lawrence Fuchs
- To learn more about how Latino History is American History, we also encourage you to check the virtual exhibit "¡Presente! A Latino History of the United States" by the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Latino.
We look forward to celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month with you!
¡Muchas gracias!
Peter Rojas
Director of the Intercultural Center
Lee Bitsóí
Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion