By Hannah Gradowski, staff reporter.
Within the bustling halls and hurried traffic of Delta College on Sept. 27, exuberant voices resonated, intervening between crowded thoughts and schedules with the language of Spanish to promote the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month.
Members of the Society of Hispanic Leaders, Angelica Lozano and Manuel Castillo, initiated conversations with the event Let’s Talk Spanish by greeting students with “Hola, Cómo Estás?”, “or hello, how are you?” to provide an opportunity for Delta students to interact and practice Spanish skills while learning about the history of Hispanic culture.
Originally celebrated as Hispanic Heritage Week, Hispanic Heritage Month was enacted into law under the presidency of Ronald Reagan in August 1988. This offered Hispanic Americans the chance to recollect on one’s family history and retrace roots from the diverse indigenous groups of the Americas which included the Arawaks of Puerto Rico, the Aztecs of Mexico, the Incas of South America, the Maya of Central America, and the Tainos of in Cuba, Puerto Rico and other regions.
“One significant aspect of Hispanic culture is family. Hispanic Heritage month gives us the opportunity to surround ourselves with family to celebrate and honor our heritage” says Associate Counselor and SOHL Leader Monica Hernandez-Alaniz.
The event Let’s Talk Spanish created by the SOHL broadened the celebration beyond family borders and into the halls of Delta College.
“We (Hispanics) are always celebrating together whether it is during parades, holidays or special occasions, there is not a moment where we are not proud of who we are and where we’ve come from. We are happy to have the chance to share it with others,” says Castillo.
The national celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month began on Sept. 15 and ends on Oct. 15. In the duration of this month, the Society of Hispanic Leaders created events which encourages Delta College to become involved and educated in Hispanic Heritage. These events include ‘Let’s Speak Spanish!’ on Sept. 27 and Oct. 8 in West Hall on Delta College’s Main Campus from 11am to 2pm, My Culture, My Voice on Sept. 29 at the Delta College Saginaw Ricker Center from 10am to 7 p.m. and a special presentation called “A Look at Immigration through the Eyes of the Innocent” presented by guest speaker Dr. Stephany Slaughter followed by a viewing and discussion of the film “Which Way Home” on Oct. 18 from 2-4 p.m. in S125 and 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in S-105.
