Celebrating Culture: Vibrant Hispanic Heritage Month La Fiesta

On Sept. 18th, the Hispanic and Latino Excellence (HALE) Center and La Raza Association (Student Club) collaborated and hosted “La Fiesta” for appreciating and celebrating the Hispanic Heritage Month at Monarch Court.  

This event was an excellent opportunity for Hispanic and King’s College community to celebrates the rich histories, cultures, and significant contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans to the United States. Hispanic Heritage Month began in 1968 as a week-long celebration and was expanded to a month by President Ronald Reagan in 1988. The celebration, which takes place from September 15th to October 15th, intentionally begins on the 15th to acknowledge the Independence Day anniversaries of several Latin American countries, including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua.  

La Fiesta was a vibrant celebration that showcased the richness of Hispanic Heritage with art, live performances, traditional games, and traditional Latin American food. Working with the HALE Center and La Raza Association were co-sponsors by the Multicultural and International Student Programs (MISP), Shoval Center, and Study Abroad. The event featured a food truck, musical chairs, a cultural performance, and a mechanical bull that drew a crowd of students and professional staff members.  

There was also a poster board station with information on Latin American countries including pictures of celebrities from each country. HALE Center representatives and student workers presented information and answered questions about the country they were representing. Organizers wanted to both celebrate the richness of Hispanic heritage and educate anyone who was interested in learning more about Latin American history and culture.  

“My favorite part of La Fiesta was the overall atmosphere,” said Esmerlin Alcantara ’27. “It was filled with good energy, color, music, and excitement. I loved how the community came together to celebrate, and it felt like a joyful moment where everyone could share and enjoy different traditions.”  

Mariel Montes ‘27 also shared his experience of how it was like to be at the La Fiesta: 

My favorite part of La Fiesta was seeing each of the new La Raza Association students united, collaborating and sharing part of their culture, along with members of other clubs like Multicultural and International Club (MIC) and Black Student Union (BSU) who helped during set up and stayed for the celebration. For me, it was a perfect example of the unity that exists within the Kings community. I had a chance to taste the cultural food, like the Dominican yaroa, which is my favorite fast foods, along with chimi. This event reminded me that no matter how far we are from our homeland, it will always be part of our daily lives, whether it's in simple things like the way we dance, greet one another, or language. Being Hispanic represents a huge part of the way we live and how we should always be embraced.

Organizers are already working to recruit more student service offices and academic departments across campus to help bring awareness and a sense of community to this annual event.