Hispanic Heritage Month: On-campus organizations celebrate culture

Augusta University is honoring National Hispanic Heritage Month, hosted annually from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, with a variety of events and spotlights of Hispanic organizations and community members.

Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.

According to Pew Research Center, Hispanics made up nearly 19% of people in the U.S. in 2020, up from 16% in 2010 and just 5% in 1970.

Several on-campus groups work to enrich Hispanic culture in the community.

• Club de Español: This club works with other on-campus organizations that are based around the culture of Spanish-speaking countries to create an environment for students to learn, understand and experience the Spanish language and culture.
• Hispanic Organization of Youth (HOY): This organization focuses on uniting the Latinx community at Augusta University while being inclusive of all minorities and non-minorities. Their goal is to foster a sense of community within HOY and increase visibility of the Hispanic community’s rich and vibrant cultures.
• Hispanic Student Dental Association (HSDA): This organization is a local chapter of the Hispanic Dental Association, and seeks to provide service, education, advocacy and leadership opportunities for the promotion of overall health of the Hispanic community and other under-served communities.
• Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA): This organization seeks to unite and empower medical students through service, mentorship and education while advocating for the health of the Latino community.
• Latinx-American Nursing Student Association: This organization provides members service, advocacy and leadership opportunities that support improving health in the Latinx community, and brings awareness to the health disparities affecting this population.

In addition to learning about campus organizations, community members are encouraged to attend Hispanic Heritage Month events.

• HOY will host a “travel fest” exhibition at noon Sept. 22 in the breezeway of the Jaguar Student Activities Center.
• Multicultural Student Engagement (MSE) will host a Multicultural Monday event honoring Hispanic heritage at 11:30 a.m. Sept. 27 in the lobby of the J. Harold Harrison, M.D. Education Commons. MSE will give out free churros from Taqueria el Patron and prompt students to ask themselves, “What does Hispanic heritage mean to you?”
• MSE will host “Being Latinx or Hispanic at AU,” a cultural education event, at 6 p.m. Sept. 28 in the ballroom of the JSAC. This event will feature speakers and Hispanic music and food.
• LMSA and HSDA will host lotería, the Mexican version of bingo, at 2 p.m. Oct. 6 on the patio of the Harrison Commons. Snacks and refreshments will be provided.
• HSDA will host a charla (“chat”) at noon Oct. 8 in the Harrison Commons, room 1110. At the event, which is open to all dental students, Dr. Charmelo Silva will discuss head and neck exams.
• MSE will host Latin Dance Night at 6 p.m. Oct. 15 in the Oak Hall Connect Space.