On a hot afternoon at Robinson Quad, mariachi vocals and rhythms of a samba band brought students to the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month with the Center of Latin@ Studies.
Sept. 15 through Oct. 15 proves to be an important time for Hispanic students on campus. To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, the CLS hosted their first kick-off event with their director, Sonia Trevino.
Trevino grew up in Texas in an area that is “95% Hispanic-Latino.” Because of this, having a community with other Hispanic people has held a place of importance in her mind when she thinks about the meaning behind Hispanic Heritage Month. Trevino shares the importance of community and inclusion for Hispanic students on campus during this time.
“Hispanic Heritage Month to me is a sense of community and a sense of belonging. We’re really just excited to bring that sense of community here. We want the Ferris community to know [CLS is] here not only as a resource but also as a place of celebration and inclusion,” Trevino said.
In her first semester as CLS director, Trevino’s goal is to bring a sense of community to the Hispanic culture at Ferris. Along with this, others enjoy the celebration of Hispanic music and food. To celebrate this, mariachi singer Veronica Quintino-Ananda was welcomed to the stage along with a samba band. Along with this, Mexican food booths and a donut truck featuring donuts with raspberry habanero sauce served as food for hungry students.
“We’ve come to represent a part of our culture,” Quintino-Ananda said. “Our tradition is through traditional mariachi music, so everything I’m singing is going to be in Spanish. Music and food play a big role in our culture. It plays at every family gathering. If the food and music are not good, the whole party is no longer good.”
In Hispanic culture, music is used to tell stories, express emotions and encourage those in the community to be proud of their shared culture. This is why CLS found it so important to include music in their celebration.
“If a song talks about a story with identity with or a feeling that we’ve gone through, it brings us all together. Music brings us together as a family, as a community and as neighbors,” Quintino-Ananda said.
Music and food emphasize the importance of the Hispanic community. They are both key to celebrating shared experiences and bringing people together. It shows appreciation for family and friends. In the case of Ferris, community is celebrated in the form of relationships between Hispanic students on campus.
“Being able to be around more Hispanics and being able to talk to them more on campus really brings me a smile,” radiography junior Nathan Martinez said. “I’m enjoying the people and the tacos too. I’m just playing games and having fun.”
This month, CLS will be celebrating with an intercultural discussion panel, Hispanic film showcase, salsa and bomba dance celebration, and CLS got Talent.
“It’s important that we continue to be proud of where we come from. Even though we may be Americans and we are established here, Hispanics look so different and we stand out,” Quintino-Ananda said.
For more information, find the Center of Latin@ Studies on Instagram, @ferriscls.