Hispanic Heritage Month Nears End

In case you were not aware, Hispanic Heritage Month officially kicked off on September 15th, a day of great joy and celebration in Mexico, and is nearing its end on October 15th.  This celebration of our Hispanic Heritage began as a measure to recognize our unique culture, history, and language, among other aspects of being Hispanic. 

Contrary to popular belief, the term Hispanic does not denote one of Mexican descent only. The term became more generally accepted after it appeared on the 2000 U.S. Census, where it became an option to label oneself Hispanic or Latino, if one was of Spanish-speaking descent.  This label does not exclude anyone from Spanish-speaking areas such as Central America, the Carribeans, or even Spain.  Furthermore, the term does not describe a race, but rather an ethnicity, or better yet, a group of individuals who identify with one another on the basis of one commonality- their language.

Laredo’s TAMIU celebrates its Hispanic Heritage Month by offering viewings of Hispanic films this week and next in what is left of Hispanic Heritage Month.  If you are a TAMIU student, you may want to check out the time and place of the viewing for the Spanish “The Orphanage” and Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s “Love in the Time of Cholera” before the monthly celebration nears its end.  Let us know of how you celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and of any events going on around the city where we can all join in on the fiestas! We’ll definitely keep you posted here.