Colorful embroidered dresses, the sweet smell of Horchata and waving flags dominated the environment at the Hispanic Heritage Fest, hosted by the Honors Scholars Program and the Council for International Friendship (CIF) on Sept. 20.
The John Brown University campus was invited to explore Hispanic culture through artistic performances, food and social connections. During the event, students from different Central American countries shared a piece of their culture by singing traditional songs, dancing or reading poems in their native languages.
Nazaria Bol, junior family and human services major from Guatemala, expressed satisfaction about how the event turned out. “These events are important because it helps the JBU community to understand the cultural diversity that we have,” she said. “It’s a really cool activity that can create that homey environment for international students like me.”
Bol, who is proud of her Central American roots, shared a poem about her country’s culture. “I really wanted to do this because I knew that I needed to share about my culture with others, and these are small things that we can do to share cultural knowledge with others.”
Americans celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month every year from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 by showcasing the culture, learning the history and remembering key points in Latin American history that are significant to the Hispanic community.
According to the Library of Congress’ Hispanic Heritage Month website, this 30-day period is important for people from Hispanic heritage because Sept. 15 is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries like Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Additionally, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on Sept. 16 and Sept.18, respectively.
An initiative that began last year during the pandemic, JBU’s Honors Scholars Program hosted the event with the purpose of celebrating Hispanic students on campus while inviting students from other cultural backgrounds to learn the colorful diversity within Hispanic tradition.
Luke Travis, senior English major and director of diversity and equity at the Honors Executive Council, said that it is important to host events like the Hispanic fest since international students are “constantly bombarded by American politics, pop culture and media. They read and write in English, and we often don’t think to ask what it is like to live in their countries and what special parts of their culture they would like to share.”
As the organizer of the event, Travis also expressed that the purpose of the event was to create a space that was inviting to Hispanic students. “Hopefully, for the people who participated, they can feel celebrated for the beautiful culture that they come from, whether it is through poetry, music or education.”
The Hispanic Heritage Fest was not only a fun and educational experience for students, but it was also an event for faculty and staff to immerse in Hispanic culture.
Trisha Posey, professor of history and director of the honors program, commented about the importance of cultural events on campus. “One of the things I appreciated about the Hispanic Heritage Fest was that there were many countries represented in the performances,” she said. “Learning about the unique aspects of different Latin American cultures gives us a better understanding of the diversity of experiences and backgrounds of our Latin American students.”
While Hispanic heritage can and should be observed and valued beyond the span of a month, the JBU community spent an evening rich in cultural celebration that welcomes diversity and uniqueness.
“I feel that JBU needs to know about our international students and the countries represented here on our campus,” Bol said.
To Travis, the community response to the event was positive. “I would love for every single person to go to the Hispanic fest because it is such a beautiful display of culture and an important part of the student body,” he said. “I hope that, in the coming years, it attracts more people.” For more information and free resources to explore Hispanic heritage, you can visit The Smithsonian’s Latino Center.
Featured image by Katelyn Kingcade/The Threefold Advocate