Hispanic Heritage Month Celebrations 2005

Sep. 12, 2005

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The University of Arkansas and the Hispanic Heritage Month Committee announce the 2005 Hispanic Heritage Month schedule of events on the university campus. Combining academic lectures, distinguished speakers and cultural events, Hispanic Heritage Month is an exciting opportunity to create greater awareness of the heritage and contemporary achievement of Hispanic and Latino cultures. Steven M. Bell, director of Latin American Studies at the university, said, "Latino culture belongs today to us all, and this celebration should bring us together in common celebration of what makes us different and what makes us one."

Hispanic Heritage Month begins on Sept. 15, the anniversary of independence for five Latin American countries - Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, which declared independence from Spain in 1821. Mexico had earlier declared its independence on Sept. 16, 1810, and Chile on Sept. 18, 1810. More than 40 million people of Hispanic and Latino ancestry reside in the United States, making them the largest ethnic minority in the country and the fifth-largest population among the 19 Spanish-speaking countries of the world. According to the 2000 census, 67 percent of the Hispanic and Latino population of the United States trace their origins to Mexico, 14 percent to Central and South America, 9 percent to Puerto Rico, 4 percent to Cuba, and 7 percent to other Hispanic origins.

"The array of exciting, compelling, and entertaining events we have assembled on our calendar of activities effectively captures the breadth and depth, the vibrancy, historical complexity, and social and ethnic diversity of the peoples that gather under the Hispanic and Latino cultural labels," said Bell.

The Hispanic Heritage Month Committee invites the campus and general public to celebrate any of the activities listed below. For more information, please contact Hispanic Heritage Month Committee co-chairs, Chris Medrano of the Office of Student Involvement and Leadership (cmedran@uark.edu or (479) 575-5255) or Andy Mauk of the Multicultural Center (amauk@uark.edu (479) 575-2064).

Thursday, Sept. 15

Latin American Studies Brown-Bag Lunch Series

Noon — Multicultural Center

“Confronting the Past in Contemporary Latin American Art”

By Prof. Luis Fernando Restrepo, FLAN/LAST faculty

Contact Dr. Steven Bell (sbell@uark.edu)

Friday, Sept. 16

Friday Night Live — Latin Soul

7 p.m. to 1 a.m. — Arkansas Union

Featuring Havana NRG, an eight-piece salsa band, comedic performances by Colombian Oscar Collazos and Puerto Rican Darren Riveria, Hip-Hop Activist Rosa Clemente, Latino Karaoke, Spanish Spelling Bee

Contact Chris Medrano, cmedran@uark.edu

Saturday, Sept. 17

Hispanic Women’s Organization Conference

Arkansas Union

Contact Diana Gonzales Worthen, dworthen@sdale.org

Wednesday, Sept. 21

Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) sponsors:

“Hispanic Engineering Experiences” featuring panelists Brian Sorensen, Jaime Barrenechea, Ruben Medina, from Tyson Foods

5:30 p.m. — Bell Engineering 273

Contact Lyda Zambrano, lzambra@uark.edu

Wednesday, Sept. 21

Joaquin Zihuatenejo — Latin American slam poet

Contacts

Molly Boyd, public relations coordinator, University Libraries, (479) 575-2962, mdboyd@uark.edu

Hispanic Heritage Month Celebrations 2005

Contacts

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