Hispanic Heritage month takes place nationally from Sept.15 to Oct.15. It’s a time to recognize and honor Hispanic Americans in history who’ve impacted our nation and helped it shape into what it is today.
This year Fullerton College Cadena Cultural Center has partnered with Cypress College and North Orange Continuing Education to bring an exciting and inspiring lineup of events starting Sept.16. This month will be full of celebrations anyone can join, from guest speakers and presentations to a scavenger hunt and much more.
![Dr. Therese Mosqueda-Ponce and Obed Silva [first row;3rd and 4th box] kicked off Hispanic Heritage month with a bang. Hosting over 100 people virtually, they welcomed students and the community with smiles and festivity.](https://hornet.fullcoll.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/IMG_8489-scaled.jpg)
“It’s amazing to have the full North Orange County Community College District working together for this amazing event,” professional expert for the Cadena Cultural Center, Zyrah Niazi said.
Each event will be on Zoom. Most will be available to join at the time of the event.
Thursday, Sept. 16, guest speaker Obed Silva led with a presentation on Hispanic, Latino/a/x, and Chicano/a/x terms and their origins. Next, speaker Angel Rodriguez touched on mental wellness, breaking away from gender stereotypes and, “machísmo.”
Silva ended by highlighting the importance of supporting our most vulnerable. Small contributions like attending vendor buyouts or supporting GoFundMe links can make a huge impact.
![During his presentation, Obed Silva [green highlighted box] shared how numbers make noise. "We had a caravan of hundreds of cars making the drive down Whittier Blvd. down to East Los Angeles to commemorate the Chicano Moratorium," stated Silva.](https://hornet.fullcoll.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/IMG_8488.jpeg)
“It’s where the power lies…with the community that brings out thousands of dollars to help people, well we change the game,” Silva said.
President Lyndon Johnson started this national holiday with a week-long observation beginning in September 1968. President Ronald Regan later increased it to a month in 1988.
They did this to honor all Hispanic, Latino, Chicano, and Indigenous people’s traditions, cultures, and backgrounds.
“The theme of the month focuses on community engagement and will feature a variety of guest speakers and activities that highlight connection, the diversity within our communities, and the call to be more involved,” Cadena Cultural Center Coordinator Gilberto Valencia said.
Every Wednesday starting on Sept.15 until Oct. 14, Fullerton College Cultural Center will be spotlighting Hispanic, Latino and Chicano authors as a part of their campaign, “Reclaiming Our Titles” on Instagram.
![While discussing Hispanic, Chicano/a/x and Latino/a/x origins, Obed Silva [green highlighted box] pointed out how Sesame Street has adopted the name Latinx Heritage Month.](https://hornet.fullcoll.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/IMG_8487.jpeg)
A Fall 2021 collaboration between Fullerton College Library and the Cadena Cultural Center draws attention to banned books by black, indigenous, and people of color authors. E-books and hard copies are available for students to check out at the Fullerton College Library.
Fullerton College offers several associate degrees in Chicano/a studies, Ethnic studies, Latin American studies, and Spanish Associate in Arts. In addition, some classes include Chicano/a History, Chicano/a Contemporary Issues, History of the Native Americans, and Women of Color in the U.S.
Fullerton College’s unique Ethnic Studies Department tries to help enrich the diverse culture the college embraces. With nearly 60% of students being Hispanic/Latino it’s important to many students that holidays like this are recognized.
Every student that attends each event can enter to win a $75 Amazon gift card.
Anyone who wishes to participate is welcomed and highly encouraged to join for every event. For more information, view the flyer or visit the Fullerton College site.