Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month
Sept. 15, 2022
Dear Brandeis Community,
We are excited to announce our recognition and celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month at Brandeis! This national observance 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 Sept. 15 and ending Oct. 15.
Moreover, National Hispanic Heritage Month is a time of celebration and acknowledgment of the histories, cultures and most importantly the contributions of Americans whose ethnic and cultural backgrounds are from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. It starts in mid-month to highlight the independence anniversaries of several countries in the Latin America region in September as well as Día de la Raza celebrated on Oct. 12.
- Our Brandeis Latinx Student Organization will be hosting two events:
- Carne Asada which will be held from 5-7 p.m. Sept. 24 in Skyline Commons.
- The annual showcase Incendio will be held from 7-9 p.m. Oct. 15 in the Levin Ballroom. More details will be shared as they become available. You may also follow the Brandeis Latinx Student Organization on Instagram @blso98 for more information.
- Another highlight this year is the performance of Veronica Robles and her all-female mariachi band, sponsored by the Brandeis International Business School and hosted in the school's World Court Friday, at 2 p.m. Oct. 14.
In addition, our University Archives and Special Collections is home to a range of materials documenting the experiences of Latinx students at Brandeis, including this 2021 video chronicling the experiences of alumni and current students. 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, as well as a 15-minute film created by Maria Rodriguez '75 and her son Dioni Gomez. Also available are teaching and course materials for Hispanic Studies that are part of several faculty collections, most notably the papers of Denah Lida and Lawrence Fuchs.
To learn more about how Latino History is American History, we encourage you to check the virtual exhibit "¡Presente! A Latino History of the United States" by the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Latino.
Muchas gracias,
Tere Rodriguez
Senior Associate Director of Admissions
DEI Staff Fellow
Brandeis International Business School
Lee Bitsóí
Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion