Latinos Unidos, a CSU student organization promoting cultural acceptance, appreciation, and awareness, is welcoming all CSU students to celebrations of Hispanic Heritage Month.
In addition to regularly scheduled biweekly meetings with food, Latinos Unidos is hosting an arts and crafts event in the Student Center Atrium on Thursday, Oct. 12 welcoming all students as a celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. In collaboration with Playhouse Square, the event will include authentic Hispanic food, community resources, and a photo booth.
Other Latinos Unidos events during Hispanic Heritage Month include the Cookies and Cafecito, where students are invited to meet Latino faculty and staff.
Aliah Rodriguez, the Committee Chair for Latinos Unidos and a second year civil engineering student, further shared the goals of the student organization:
“Latinos Unidos’ purpose is to give CSU students a sense of self and to have a united front of a Latino community on campus. Ultimately, we address inclusivity issues for Latino students in order to receive the recognition deserved, create activities and host events that encompass the culture and diversity of the Latino community, share and illustrate the culture with others at CSU and provide support for current and future members of our organization.”
Rodriquez explained that the objectives of Hispanic Heritage Month and Latinos Unidos are very similar, though Hispanic Heritage Month has a much wider audience.
Celebrated from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15 throughout the United States, Hispanic Heritage Month encourages the exploration of Hispanic and Latino culture, and the impact the communities have had throughout history.
For Rodriguez, Hispanic Heritage Month has special meaning.
“As a first-generation Latino descent in the states, Hispanic Heritage Month has always been a time to reflect and appreciate my ancestors that came before me and to recognize the hard work and tribulations that allowed me to thrive in the place I am today,” said Rodriguez. “Personally, I believe Hispanic Heritage Month gives me a sense of self in terms of being able to appreciate the diversity I am. Coming from an area where there was little to no sense of a Latino community, celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month helped me appreciate this in a greater sense as well.”
Rodriguez aims to learn new dances, try new foods, support the Latino community, and more to dive deeper into the culture and community to gain a greater appreciation and understanding.
“We are a close knit student organization that is always happy to see new faces and share our culture with others,” Rodriguez said.
Members of the Latino community and those interested in the culture are invited to join Latinos Unidos through VikesConnect or by following @csu.latinosunidos on Instagram.