Latinx Heritage Month is observed in the United States from September 15 to October 15 to celebrate the histories, cultures, and contributions of Americans whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, and the Spanish-speaking nations of Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. The observation began in 1968 as National Hispanic Heritage Week, and in 1988 was expanded to cover a 30-day-period known as National Hispanic Heritage Month, also known as Latinx Heritage Month. In honor of Latinx Heritage Month, Sonoma State University (SSU) is reflecting on the importance of our Latinx and Hispanic students, faculty, and staff and community members.
For example, Ruben Salazar, local journalist and reporter for the Los Angeles Times who was killed in 1970 during the Chicano Moratorium protest against the Vietnam war. Salazar's name was approved for the SSU Library after a campaign by Movimiento Estudiantil For Change and Advocacy (M.E.Ch.A.). Salazar Hall is now home to a variety of administrative and educational functions at SSU.
Below is the lineup of events organized by campus partners. To learn how SSU is actively seeking to create more sustained and successful pathways for our Latinx students please visit the Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) Advisory Council website.
Latinx Heritage Month Kickoff
Thursday, September 15 | 12:00pm-1:30pm | The HUB Cultural Center
Latinx Heritage Month is an opportunity to honor our history, celebrate the rich diversity of our Latinx identity and be in comunidad. Come eat, celebrate, and connect with your peers, mentors, and colleagues. All are welcome!
Please email thehub@sonoma.edu for more information, questions, or requests.
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art: Diego Rivera's America
Saturday, September 17 | 10:00am - 2:00pm | Meet in front of University Police | Sign-up for tickets ($5.00)
The most in-depth examination of the artist’s work in over two decades, Diego Rivera’s America brings together more than 150 of Rivera’s paintings, frescoes, and drawings—as well as three galleries devoted to large-scale film projections of highly influential murals he created in Mexico and the United States. Rather than surveying his entire career, the exhibition focuses on Rivera’s work from the 1920s to the mid-1940s, when he was conceiving a new vision for North America informed by his travels in Mexico and the U.S. Ten thematic galleries are dedicated to places like Tehuantepec and Manhattan that captured his imagination, and to his favorite subjects, such as street markets, popular celebrations, and images of labor and industry.
Please email mo.phillips@sonoma.edu for more information, questions or accommodations.
ASP Presents: Culture & Conchas
Thursday September 22 | 12:00pm-1:00pm | Seawolf Plaza
Take a midday break to join ASP for a performance and tutorial on Folklorico dances by Ballet Folklorico Sarita and enjoy free conchas from Tia Maria Panadería! For any questions or accommodations, contact aspevent3@sonoma.edu..
Please email aspevent3@sonoma.edu for more information, questions or accommodations.
Art Gallery Talk with Erik Castro
Thursday, September 29 | 12:00pm - 1:00pm | University Art Gallery | Image Credit: Erik Castro, Rafael Amador, 21, Hidalgo, Mexico. 2015, digital print on matte paper, 40 x 60"
*Meet in front of the Student Center at 11:45am so we can walk to the art gallery and enjoy this exhibit in comunidad!*
Erik Castro is an award-winning photojournalist based in Santa Rosa, California; his print media clients include the San Francisco Chronicle, the Press Democrat, Sonoma Magazine, and the Seattle Weekly. Castro has a long-standing interest in photography's power to humanize and bring visibility to complex social issues. His Harvester series focuses on the workers of Sonoma County's vineyards: each image is a portrait of a grape harvest worker who has agreed to be photographed out in the field, in the moments after they complete a day's shift. You can visit the University Art Gallery to learn more about the art featured in the exhibit.
Please email thehub@sonoma.edu for more information, questions or accommodations.
Indigenous Herbalism Workshop
Thursday, October 6 | 12:00pm - 1:30pm | The HUB Cultural Center
The Botanical Bus is a bilingual mobile herb clinic that empowers holistic health by-and-for Latinx and Indigenous people. Join us for an Indigenous Herbalism Workshop that will focus on herbal medicine and healing with the seasons facilitated by María “LuLu” de Lourdes Péres Centurión.
Please email thehub@sonoma.edu for more information, questions or accommodations.
Puerto Rican Bomba Demonstration & Participatory Workshop with Aguacero
Thursday, October 13 | 12:00pm - 1:00pm | The HUB Cultural Center
Bomba is an integral and vibrant part of Puerto Rican culture and heritage, and is the most vital genre of Afro-Puerto Rican music and dance In Puerto Rico. Bomba has been practiced and passed on from generation to generation as a critical form of collective expression, cultural affirmation, and artistic pleasure, for well over three centuries. Join us for this immersive cultural experience with Aguacero.
Please email thehub@sonoma.edu for more information, questions or accommodations.
Aida Cuevas 45th Anniversary: Yo Creo Que Es Tiempo
Thursday, October 13 | 7:30pm | The Green Music Center | Weill Hall
Aida Cuevas presents 45th Anniversary / Yo Creo Que Es Tiempo an unforgettable and emotional concert celebrating a long-lasting career as Mexico’s most important female voice. She is joined by renowned Mariachi Aztlán along with other special guests. With a 46-year career and 41 album releases to her credit, Cuevas, dubbed as “The Queen of Mariachi,” is an esteemed figure in Mexico, beloved for her unswerving devotion to traditional mariachi music and for her mastery of its demanding vocal forms.
SSU students, staff, and faculty can purchase discounted tickets here. Learn more about this event by visiting the Green Music Center website.
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