Who are we? I often hear from Latine colleagues that representation is small but strong. At just shy of 20%, the Hispanic population is the nation’s largest racial or ethnic minority, according to the most recent United States Census Bureau data. The data from 2021 shows that the share of all college students ages 18 to 24 was also nearly 20%, with estimates hovering around 2.4 million students—double the number of Hispanic students who were attending college in 2005.
One in five is a big minority. So, regardless if you are working at PWI, an HBCU, a HSI, a state-funded public institution, a renowned private institution, or anywhere in between, you are going to connect with students, colleagues, peers, staff, participants, etc. who identify as Hispanic, Latinx, Chicano or Chicana. Take some time during Hispanic Heritage Month—September 15 through October 15—to learn about and honor our culture, traditions, and values.
Each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month by celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. The day of September 15 is significant because it is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September 18, respectively. Also, Columbus Day or Día de la Raza, which is October 12, falls within this 30 day period.
Check out some of the many resources available through the Smithsonian Institute, the National Park Service, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the National Archives for ideas about how to honor the month on your campus and in your rec center. Or check out this article from GoodGoodGood, which has great suggestions about documentaries, podcasts, virtual tours, books, or quotes that can be used in your social media channels: “24 Activities to Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month (2023).”
Connect with us
Across NIRSA we come from many different backgrounds but there is a shared Latinidad. De donde seamos, hemos cultivado identidades distintas y esos viajes variados nos conectan. If you identify with the Latinx community, we invite you to join the NIRSA Latinx Caucus Community throughout the year, as we connect to support each other through challenges, celebrate our successes, and network with our peers! Our next event is happening October 4, at 12:00pm Eastern/9:00am Pacific. Register today to join us, or keep an eye on the NIRSA Caucus calendar for future events.
More caucus events will be added to the calendar starting in the Fall. And keep an eye out for an upcoming member spotlight article from NIRSA, featuring a couple of members from NIRSA’s Latinx Community Caucus.
- For more information, please contact Tanika Santos MacSwain, Fitness Coordinator at Virginia Commonwealth University.
Tanika Santos MacSwain, is currently the Fitness Coordinator at Virginia Commonwealth University; you can email her at santosmacst@vcu.edu.
