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Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated nationally each year from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. It began as a week-long celebration in 1968 under President Johnson and was expanded to a month by President Reagan in 1988.
The goal: to recognize the significant contributions Hispanic/Latino Americans have made in the United States.
The timeframe of the month is significant because many Central American countries celebrate their independence days from mid-September through early October, including Sept. 15 (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua), Sept. 16 (Mexico), Sept. 18 (Chile), and Sept. 21 (Belize).
Latinas and Latinos have always held significant roles throughout our country’s history, dating all the way back to the American Revolution, including as business owners, artists, scientists, public servants, athletes, and more.
Hispanic Heritage Month provides an opportunity to celebrate the integral part the Hispanic/Latino community has had in growing and strengthening our democracy.
The month kicks off at Pitt State with "La Celebración," is a vibrant event organized by Hispanics of Today that will be held in Gorilla Stadium east of Carnie Smith Stadium from 5 to 8 p.m.
Attendees will enjoy diverse performances, music from different regions, aguas frescas, "Tacos el Gordo" food truck, "La Sinaloense" food truck, dances from Peru and Mexico, and a dance with DJ J.ACE. Cash, Venmo, Cash App, PayPal, and Zelle will be accepted for food and beverage purchases.
“La Celebración is a time of unity where students and the community come together to honor our roots, through music, dance, and food,” said Hispanics of Today President Frida Herrera. “La Celebración invites us to remember where we come from and feel proud of our heritage.”
This year’s events also include the first Hispanic Music Festival, organized by piano instructor Isaac Hernandez, who earned his master’s degree from Pitt State in 2023.
Musicians from Mexico will come to campus as guest artists during the festival, which also will showcase students, faculty, alumni, and community members. A few performers are from Paraguay.
Performances will include:
Sept. 15 – Pittsburg Hispanic Banda, 3 p.m. at the Bicknell Family Center for the Arts, 1711 S. Homer.
Sept. 18 – Salterio by Miguel Pacheco, 7 p.m. at McCray Hall, 1701 S. Broadway.
Sept. 22 – Dueling Pianos, 3 p.m. at McCray Hall.
Sept. 25 - PSU Hispanic Recital, 7 p.m. at McCray Hall
Oct. 2 – South American Serinade, 7 p.m. at McCray Hall
Oct. 9 – Trumpet by Ignacio Cornejo, 7 p.m. at McCray Hall
“It’s important to us to share our culture and also our music world,” Hernandez said. “There are many people who have been influential and outstanding in Latin American areas, but music outside of the Western tradition is often overlooked. This is our chance to showcase it!”
Hernandez described most Hispanic music as “lively, fun, and passionate.”
“We want to invite everyone – Hispanic or not – to join in the celebration and the fun!”
The Pittsburg Hispanic Banda, which formed last year for Hispanic Heritage Month, will kick off the festival. The group includes many non-Hispanic musicians, which Hernandez said “is great!”
“It makes it even more meaningful that people outside the culture are interested and willing to adapt – we all have fun together,” he said.
Many of them are Pittsburg area residents who graduated from Pitt State and are now music teachers as well as performers, and a few are Pitt State students. Members include Chris Goddard, Cooper Neil, Andrea Dinkel, Noey Leon, Delani Vogrin, Daniel Warlop, AJ Beu, Trey Waddell, Marley Mikel, Jocelyn Goodwin, Alex Ramirez-Perez, Gavin Burdett, Omar Trejillo, Alejandra Cornelio, Daniel Roy, Chase Shaw, Sahara Garcia, Ryan Ford, Peyton Winnet, and Hernandez.
Sept. 14
Festival Hispano, hosted by Our Lady of Lourdes Hispanic Ministry at 6 p.m. at Our Lady of Lourdes Field House, 109 E. Ninth St. It will include a cabalgata (parade), folkloric dancing, and food.
Oct. 4
Connecting Cultures: Hispanic Family Night will be hosted by SparkWheel from 5 to 7 p.m. at Schlanger Park, 725 E Sixth St. It will include food, games, music, and a community resource fair.
