Hispanic Heritage Month, a monthlong celebration of Hispanic/Latinx culture and traditions, began on Sep.15 and with Hispanic and Latinx students making up 20% of the population at FSU, the Hispanic Latino Student Union is here to make sure that every Hispanic/Latinx student can revel in their culture.
HLSU is one of six agencies at Florida State University, with the main goal to represent the Hispanic/Latino community both on campus and around Tallahassee. HLSU creates and plans events, like the celebrations of Hispanic Heritage Month, and also prioritizes educating students on the resources readily available to them and enlightening everyone about the different cultures that FSU prides itself on.
The theme of this year’s Hispanic Heritage celebration is Pa’Lante, Pra Frente, Forward. When asked about the underlying meaning of the theme, Director Kristian Diaz said that “Hispanic Heritage Month is a time dedicated to celebrating our Latinx culture and influence in the United States. It’s important to use this time to not only celebrate our culture but educate those around us. With our opening event, Pa’Lante, we hope to spread knowledge on Hispanic Heritage Month, its roots, and what we are doing today to continue to progress our community.”
Pa’Lante will showcase all the different Hispanic/Latinx countries and educate the attendees about countries and their independence days, cultural celebrations and traditions, and give new light into every beautiful country and their very unique origins. This event serves to educate students and to give a glimpse into different cultures and how they’re all intertwined. Aside from that, the event is aimed to reach students and show how far the Hispanic/Latinx community has come, as well as all of the meaningful work that is being done stateside and internationally to aid in the advancement of the Hispanic/Latinx community.
The month-long celebration is comprised of fifteen different events, ranging from a movie screening at the ASLC to an outdoor sporting event. Every event highlights a different tenet of Hispanic/Latinx culture, and every event is open for every FSU student to come out and join the celebration.