Read below to learn about how the members of CLAVE celebrate Hispanic Heritage month and some of the resources and communities available for students on campus. 

Happy last day of Hispanic Heritage Month! We’re reaching out from CLAVE at Northwestern University to tell you more about how Hispanic Heritage Month looks on campus, as Northwestern celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month a bit differently.

Hispanic Heritage Month at Northwestern

Since we don’t start classes when Hispanic Heritage starts on September 15th, we celebrate the month throughout the entire month of October instead. The university community hosts a variety of programs and events which aim to educate on Hispanic/ Latine issues and build community on campus. All throughout the month there are new and exciting events, collaborations, and contributions from students, staff, faculty, and the campus community. Here are some ways we celebrate Hispanic Heritage month and some of the resources and communities available for students on campus.

Northwestern Latine Student Organizations

This year, the largest Latine student organization, Alianza partnered with Multicultural Student Affairs to cater a “Bienvenida” kick-off event for both the start to Hispanic Heritage Month and the academic year. More than two hundred students attended for a night of music, dancing, performances and a whole lot more. You can see a picture of the event in the feature image above (bonus points if you can spot Andres).

In addition to Alianza’s events, other campus organizations find ways to spread Latine and Hispanic culture throughout Northwestern. For example, Latine dance groups such as Dale Duro and Ballet Folklórico Mexicano De Northwestern: Ritmo de Mis Ancestros have many performances scheduled throughout the month of October to showcase Hispanic and Latine culture. Other organizations on campus have events planned as well, like the Society for Hispanic Professional Engineers’, which has a bonfire scheduled for students later this month. Between all of the student organizations on Northwestern’s campus, Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated throughout October in many different ways. The celebration even extends into November as Latine student organizations dedicate time to celebrating Dia de Los Muertos. This celebration is seen throughout Northwestern’s campus in movie nights, creations of ofrendas, and dance performances.

Exploring Hispanic Identity at Northwestern and Beyond

Lastly, for us, Hispanic Heritage Month includes exploring our community! Despite being far from some of our hometowns, we can find some of the best Hispanic food anywhere in Pilsen, one of Chicago’s neighborhoods with a strong Mexican influence. Additionally, Evanston hosts their own local “Una Fiesta Hispana” Heritage Festival that highlights local vendors – there’s definitely some strong competition even on the North Shore. The most important celebration for Marcos is cooking some of his favorite foods with friends in his apartment – ajiaco, tamales, and arepas – and just sharing a good meal.

If y’all joined us for our Hispanic Heritage Month Panel on October 6th we’re glad you did! If you did not that’s okay too- keep an eye out for our future email campaigns to learn more about how being Latine/Hispanic looks on Northwestern’s campus. We’ll be following up in a few weeks to reflect on his Hispanic Heritage Month and tell you more about his involvement with Alianza, developing programs and creating space for Latinidad at Northwestern.

Best,
CLAVE Coordinators

	Denise Sanchez CLAVE Coordinator Chicago, IL Second -Year SESP: Social Policy
	Andres Molina Polanco CLAVE Coordinator Sleepy Hollow, NY Third-Year WCAS: Latinx Studies, Sociology, and Anthropology
	Marcos Rios CLAVE Coordinator Marietta, GA Third-Year MEAS: Computer Science and Psychology