UHCL kicks off array of special events for Hispanic Heritage Month

September 10, 2019 | UHCL Staff

University of Houston-Clear Lake celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month annually from Sept. 15 - Oct. 15 to acknowledge the history, culture, traditions and contributions of Americans who trace their ancestry to Mexico, Central or South America or Spain. Commemorative events are planned university-wide and are intended to include students and community members of all ages in an effort to create awareness of Hispanics and Latinx both on campus and in the world.

• The Clear Lake Association of Senior Programs spotlighted Hispanic heritage with a panel discussion on Tuesday, Sept. 10, in the Bayou Building Garden Room. The discussion was moderated by UH-Clear Lake’s Associate Professor of Psychology Desdamona Rios, who is also director of the Latinx and Latino American Studies program. “This event was an opportunity for students, faculty, staff and the community at large to receive information and dialogue about the unique personal and professional experiences of accomplished professionals of Hispanic and Latino descent,” said Alexis Nwagui, program manager in the Office of Strategic Partnerships. The five panelists, whose professional experience ranged from NASA administration, regional restaurant management, and airport management, shared their insights about institutional mechanisms and recommendations for the future with the audience.
• Aliya Beavers, director of UHCL’s Office of Student Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, said SDEI will be hosting events over the course of Hispanic Heritage Month. “On Sept. 16 from 12-3 p.m., we will kick off the month’s events with Sweet Bread and Trivia,” Beavers said. “In Mexican culture, after church, families often go to a ‘panaderia’ to get ‘pan dulce,’ or sweet bread and spend the day together,” she said. “This activity centers around faith and family tradition. The trivia game will focus on aspects of Hispanic culture that could be familiar to those in the Latinx community, but maybe not others.”
• Join the Latinx and Latin American Studies Program at University of Houston-Clear Lake as they kick off a month of activities on Sept. 18 at 7 p.m. in the Forest Room of the Bayou Building. This year's theme is “Using Art for Social Justice,” which includes an art contest for the UHCL community, and visits from guest artists Jesse Rodriguez (Sept. 24), Delilah Montoya (Oct. 2) and Stalina Villareal (Oct. 8) to highlight different areas of Hispanic culture. 
• On Sept. 19, 2-4:30 p.m., Latinx and Indigenous Students Taking Action will play “loteria,” a game similar to bingo, and on Sept. 25, 12-2 p.m., the month’s celebrations culminate with Hispanic Heritage Month Critical Conversation, which will focus on the Latinx population in STEM fields. “We are a Hispanic Serving Institution, but our Latinx students in STEM majors do not see very many other Hispanics or Latinx in their classes,” Beavers said. “We are starting the conversation about Latinx people and their participation in STEM fields. These are challenging and sometimes uncomfortable discussions, but they’re needed.”

All the events hosted by SDEI will be hosted in their office in the Student Services and Classroom Building (SSCB), room 1.203. All artist talks will be held in the SSCB lecture hall.