Hispanic Heritage Month is being celebrate until Oct. 15, so “The Union” asked the campus about their thoughts on the month-long celebration.
Joanna Jones, 20, child development major
Q: What do you think about Hispanic Heritage Month?
A: I didn’t even know there was a Hispanic Heritage Month, but I think that’s good that (Hispanic/Latinos) have a month that they can celebrate their culture and heritage.
Q: What kind of Latin food do you like?
A: I like all Hispanic food, (but especially) I like Mexican food like Burritos and Ceviche. It’s all good, and I get jealous of (Hispanics/Latinos) because they have the best food.
Alden Flores, 20, business major
Q: What does Hispanic Heritage Month mean to you?
A: It’s more as a cultural thing, I’m not a hispanic, I’m Filipino and I don’t know if it has a big impact on me, but from what I see with my Hispanic friends (is) they celebrate it not the fact that they are Hispanic but they celebrate family, friends and the fact that they live in America.
Q: What food do you like the most?
A: I love tostadas to floutas because it has all the flavors and mixtures .
Q: What music do you like the most?
A: I love Salsa music because it awesome. I’m not much of a dancer but I like the music because that music is very lively and it’s fun watching people dance.
Stephanie N. Murrillo, 18, mechanical engineer major.
Q: What does Hispanic Heritage Month mean to you?
A: I feel like it means that we are different from the rest in everything and that we have different traditions than what people in America have.
Q: What tradition do you enjoy the most?
A: “El Día del Niño” it’s a wonderful tradition because all our families comes together.
Q: What music you like the most with your family?
A: I enjoy Salsa with my family and I like dancing with them, as well.
Q: What food do you enjoy the most with your family?
A: I love posole and “Tacos Dorados” because it’s different from burgers and fast food that we eat here.
Argelia Andrade, Spanish professor.
Q: What are your thoughts on Hispanic Heritage Month?
A: I think that Hispanic Heritage Month is intended to be a space where people in this case, students, can find a little bit more about the things that are deeper about Hispanic and Latinos in the United States. Find about our history, our culture, our literature and about all the wonderful things that we contribute to society that are not that obvious to the world. I think that is a great opportunity to do that, so the event we had this month with News reporter, Anabel Muñoz is the beginning of what we hope is more. unfortunately, we don’t have the financial resources to celebrate every country individually.
Q: What makes you proud to be a Latina/Hispanic?
A: I know my culture very well, so the things negative about my culture I perceive to be negative are only because I don’t know or understand them, not because they are truly negative. Most of the things that I see in my culture are beautiful and in other cultures too, but I need to take pride of my own culture first, so that I love myself, i accept myself and by doing that I’ll open up to other cultures. I have nothing to ask for in my culture. I have beautiful musical tradition, beautiful dance tradition, cooking traditions. I have so many things to be proud of and my favorite things to connect to of course are music and dance.
Q: What food you like the most?
A: I really enjoy corn, I am a cornholic. For example: in Mexico (we have) tortillas, tamales and all those things that made with corn, but my favorite is empanadas, which is a sweet bread that has pumpkin and sweet things inside. The reason I like the Colombian empanada is because it’s corn. Besides that, I love “Mole,” which is sauce made in Mexico.
Q: What music do you like the most?
A: I love folkloric music, so I love regional music of Mexico, very old timing music that was mostly recorded between the 1910s and now because I think it is so beautiful and so deep. It connects me to my past and it has a lot of elements that are indigenous, so i feel very connected to that part of my culture.
