Hispanic Heritage Month
Events at HCC run through Oct. 18
Holyoke Community College is recognizing Hispanic Heritage Month this year with a series of events celebrating Latinx history and culture.
Hispanic Heritage Month Events at HCC begin Wed., Sept. 20, with a documentary about El Grito De Lares, the first major revolt against Spanish colonial rule in Puerto Rico, and continue through Oct. 18.
Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated nationally each year from September 15 through October 15 to recognize the cultural and historical influences of Hispanic Americans.
"During this month, we will spotlight the contributions, achievements, and histories of Hispanic communities with plenty of campus-wide events," HCC President George Timmons said in a Sept. 15 message to the HCC community, noting that Hispanic/Latinx students now represent 31 percent of the total student population at HCC.
"I want our Hispanic/Latinx faculty, staff, and students to know that, at Holyoke Community College, they can fully express their cultures and identities in whatever ways feel true to them," Timmons said. "For our students, our certificates and degrees are pathways to upward mobility and for changing the narrative about who can succeed in the United States. As a community college serving a broad and diverse region, we aim to educate and bring joy and a great sense of pride to our community through the celebration of rich and diverse cultures."
Hispanic Heritage Month events at HCC:
Sept. 20, 11 a.m. - 12:15 p.m., Leslie Phillips Theater
HCC will screen a documentary about El Grito De Lares ("The Cry of Lares"), otherwise known as the 1868 Lares Revolt, the first major revolt against colonial Spanish rule in Puerto Rico.
Sept. 27, 11 a.m. - 12:15 p.m., Leslie Phillips Theater
The group Duo Alturas will perform a musical program commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Chilean coup and the assassinations of activists Salvador Allende, Victor Jara, and Pablo Neruda all within the same month in September 1973.
Sept. 30, Noon - 4 p.m., 24 Jones Ferry Road, Holyoke
Nuestras Raices Annual Harvest Festival: This event celebrates culture and diversity, folklore, art, food, language through music, dances, and other cultural activities that promote economic opportunities for local farmers, locally owned businesses, and artists.
Oct. 4, 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., Campus Center cafeteria
Latinx Fiesta: Food, music, crafts, and a celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. HCC faculty, staff, and students representing some 20 South American, Latin American, and Caribbean countries will each have their own table highlighting their individual cultures.
Oct. 4, 11 a.m., Campus Center Courtyard (outside) / El Centro (inside)
HCC Mural Ribbon Cutting Ceremony: Join El Centro and muralist Betsy Casañas to celebrate HCC's three new campus murals and all they symbolize for the institution and the community. The celebration will start outside (with mural number one) and then continue inside at El Centro at the second and third murals.
Oct. 11, 11 a.m. - 12:15 p.m., Campus Center cafeteria
PODEMOS ("We can") Scholarship Fundraiser: Support scholarships for Latinx students at HCC by purchasing delicious food prepared by HCC faculty and staff, sponsored by the HCC Hispanic Leadership Committee.
Oct. 18, 11 a.m. - 12:15 p.m., Parking lot S outside Campus Center
Holyoke Mural Tour: Take a bus tour of the 2023 Beyond Walls-sponsored murals in downtown Holyoke. (Limited seating on a first-come, first-served basis.)
PHOTOS: (Thumbnail) HCC staff members Sintique Carrillo and Sullynette Ortiz celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in 2022. (Above) HCC students Barney Garcia, of Northampton, and Alannah Brunt, of Springfield, celebrate their Cuban heritage at HCC's 2022 Latinx Fiesta.
