Hispanic Heritage Month Raises Concern for an Emphasis on Students’ Cultures

Itati Serrano '26 and a student at the Hispanic Latino Club game night during Hispanic Heritage Month. Photo coursetesy of Itati Serrano '26

Every year, Hispanic Heritage Month spans from Sept. 15 until Oct. 15, but it is often overlooked. However, this year, Co-Presidents of the Hispanic Latino Club (HLC), Itati Serrano ‘26 and Viviana Zea ‘26, made it their priority to honor this month at Marist University. 

“Hopefully, we can uplift our community specifically during this month because it's so important and it always goes by, but it deserves to be celebrated in its own way as it's so unique,” Serrano said. 

An event was held each week of the month to celebrate, starting with a collaboration between the HLC and the Student Government Association’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Board, where Serrano acts as the vice president, in addition to the Office of Community & Belonging and Gourmet, to put on a two-part event. 

Students were encouraged to come and make their own papel picado, a Mexican traditional decoration, and stay after for a specialized meal prepared by Gourmet. A large table was set up in the middle of the dining hall for students to sit together, enjoy a shared meal and celebrate one another while feeling at home. 

The HLC also hosted a game night, where they played lotería, the no sabo and musical chairs. It was then followed by a movie night of Shrek in Spanish. 

However, these events highlight the gap in Marist’s effort to emphasize students’ culture. 

“Heritage months that celebrate others' culture and diversity aren't a priority for Marist, and it often falls on students,” Serrano said. “If students don't celebrate themselves, who will?”

Marist has 11 cultural clubs on campus, with many acting as an umbrella for various cultures. Sometimes, cultural celebration months go unnoticed, with not even a meal in the dining hall to honor the month, such as Filipino American Month. 

Serrano also said celebrating cultural months brings up larger issues that students face. 

“Because we're living in such difficult times, identifying as a person of color or identifying as an international student instantly puts a target on your back during these times,” she said. “So it's difficult to want to put on celebrations, to celebrate your identity as a human being, when that itself can be dangerous in this political climate.”

In response, Serrano, with the help of her DEI board, organized The Belonging Spaces, which intends to support students and create an environment for students to use their voices. Counseling services will be there, in addition to a local non-profit organization. 

Serrano said, “What we try to do is instead of facing a roadblock and stopping, we always try to reroute to be able to make students feel like this is home.”