By Angie Ramirez

Every year from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, people all around Latin America and the United States come together to celebrate a vibrant month filled with music, food and traditions that highlight Hispanic heritage. National Hispanic Heritage Month is a month-long celebration that honors the histories, cultures and contributions of Americans with origins in Mexico, Central America, South America, Spain and the Caribbean. The celebrations begin on Sept. 15 because it is the anniversary of the independence of five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. The following day is Mexico’s Independence Day, while Chile’s is on Sept. 18.

Throughout the years, people have celebrated the month with festivals, parades and art exhibits highlighting the culture of Hispanic and Latino Americans. Many cities host festivals while playing traditional music, such as mariachi and salsa bands.

As this celebration begins this year, several student organizations at the University of Arkansas have started planning events for the upcoming month. On the first day of Hispanic Heritage Month, the Multicultural Center kicked off with Jaripeo & Baile, or rodeo and dance, outside of the union. The MC recommended wearing cowboy boots and western wear for this event.

Sophia Ordaz, the cultural programming coordinator at the MC, encouraged students to join the event as a way to celebrate together.

“We really emphasize in the MC that all are welcome, and I think these events offer a point of very intentional reunion,” Ordaz said. “We want to engage people through education, through music, through dance, to tap into more of our student body’s authentic groups.”

The MC’s Jaripeo & Baile offered authentic foods such as empanadas and corn in a cup. They brought a DJ set from Sonido Exploxiones, who kept the energy high with a mix of music throughout the night. The music consisted of bachata and salsa. Many joined the dance floor once the DJ played a popular line dance called “Payaso de Rodeo.”

At this event, the Central American Student Alliance (CASA) highlighted the tradition of the Independence Torch. It is a tradition where students and athletes carry a torch in a relay that passes through all five Central American nations–Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica–to celebrate their independence from Spain.

In Costa Rica, the Desfile de Faroles (Lantern Parade) is where families parade with handmade lanterns. The students are usually tasked with creating the lanterns out of recycled materials. The CASA’s independent torch was a mix of both the “Desfile de Faroles” and the independence torch, but the message stayed the same. Students created the lanterns with glass mason jars, twine, decorative stickers and a battery-operated tea light.

Alejandra Gomez, CASA’s marketing assistant, said that she also included stickers to allow students to decorate their jars quickly without having to think too hard as to where to start.

“The aspect of the supplies was important when I created the supplies list for this item because my thoughts were always regarding maximizing utility and minimizing waste,” Gomez said. “I want these lanterns to be something students can use throughout the year as decoration for their space.”

Gomez said that some students even suggested using the small lanterns on their ofrenda for Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead).

The Jaripeo & Baile event brought numerous students and staff together, especially when the dancing started. At the beginning of the event, students got their food and sat with their friends, while others went to try out the mechanical bull ride. But once the MC’s staff began dancing, more people joined their circle.

Senior Malinalxochitl Ilhuicamina said she loves it when events like this one happen at the university because it appreciates the students’ heritage.

“What’s so fun is seeing everybody come together and dance that normally would not go to these types of events,” Ilhuicamina said. “It’s really special to me because I grew up dancing like this.”

Ilhuicamina participated in one of the photo shoots of the event that occurred in honor of Latin American and HHM called ¡Somos Sur! (We are the South!). It was a portrait gallery reception that featured around 30 students, staff and faculty. The portraits represented the students’ heritage and presence on campus.

“I’ve been hearing great feedback, and that was even before [Hispanic Heritage Month] started,” Ilhuicamina said. “I’m just very grateful to be at this university because if you’re not around the right people, you’ll never know this exists.”

The MC organized this event to illustrate the beauty of the countries in Latin America. The portraits showcased students proudly representing their heritage through traditional clothing. Some also had flags from their countries.

“Many of us who were raised here in the U.S. South descend from people who came from the Global South, like regions of Latin America, Africa, etc.,” Ordaz said. “So we wanted to extend that.”

The exact 2025 numbers have yet to be reported, but according to Data USA, 10.3% of the student body identified as Hispanic or Latino in the 2023-24 academic year. This emphasizes the importance of the month as a time to honor and celebrate the vast community on campus.

“Our programming team in the Multicultural Center does an amazing job making sure that all students on campus are feeling seen and heard and celebrated,” Sarah Draines, director of college access initiative, said.

Several student organizations have announced some of their planned events to continue celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, where everyone is welcome. The MC recently posted four events on their social media that honor the Latine culture and community. Several of these events collaborate with other programs, such as the International Students & Scholars and the Spanish Program.

The UA Mexican-American Student Association will also celebrate by selling Mexican street food such as chicharrones and fresh fruit in front of the Greek Theatre. Currently, the date has yet to be announced, but it is something to look forward to.