The University held the first ever opening ceremony for Hispanic Heritage Month on Monday, Sept. 17, marking the beginning of a series that will run through Friday, Oct. 19.
The event began with a lively musical performance and dancing in front of Wilson Hall, followed by a flag parade to Anacon Hall in the Rebecca Stafford Student Center for a keynote speech by Wilda Diaz, Mayor of Perth Amboy, and a dance performance by Alborada, a Spanish dance company based in New Jersey.
The event was organized by the Hispanic Heritage Month Committee with the sponsorship of the Office of the President, the Office of the Provost, the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Gourmet Dining, and the Educational Opportunity Fund Program, among others. The theme of the series of events is “One Endless Voice to Enhance our Traditions.”
“One of the things I always tell students is that when you come to Monmouth University, you’re coming to get an education and a degree, but you’re also coming to broaden yourself as people and individuals,” said University President Grey Dimenna, Esq., while introducing Diaz. “One of the greatest opportunities you have while you’re here at the University is the ability to meet people from different backgrounds, different cultures, different religions, and get a better understanding of the people that make up our wonderful country.”
“I think it’s really important that we celebrate diversity and most importantly celebrate who we are as students,” said Diaz in her keynote speech, highlighting that the month of events was a great step toward appreciating the Latino culture that she proudly represents as the only Latina mayor in New Jersey. “We can’t continue to allow the [current presidential administration] to diminish and be so disconnected with the Latinos and Hispanics of this nation that only come here to live the American dream and make contributions by their hard work,” Diaz continued.
“Events like these are important to the University are important because it helps students who normally don’t interact with Latinx people to take a glimpse into our culture and ask questions they have always wanted to ask,” said Dally Matos, a junior criminal justice student. “I think especially in our political climate for people to view Latinx people as humans instead of political talking points.”
“I think [that events like this ceremony] are important because it gives an opportunity to showcase the diversity that exists here at Monmouth University and the different cultures that exist within the Hispanic-Latino community and be able to celebrate it and appreciate it in a very unified production,” said Alexis Delgado, Director of Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) and member of the Hispanic Heritage Month Committee
For Delgado, this event holds a special significance to celebrate Latino scholarship, traditions, and contributions to society. The month of events will allow people to move beyond stereotypes and generalizations to gain more awareness about what it means to be part of the Latino community, explained Delgado. He also emphasized the importance of Dimenna taking an active role in the festivities, which shows how seriously the University takes diversity and inclusion.
Diaz encouraged members of the audience to continue to strive for a sense of community and service to the less fortunate, as part of the responsibility associated with the celebrations. “Just keep dreaming; keep fighting, and don’t forget where your families are from. They worked really hard to get you here and they’ve always been supportive of you,” she said. She stressed that it is important to speak up against those who would rather silence Hispanic voices, especially during these trying times.
“Hispanic heritage to me means to be proud of your culture and who you are, and of those who came before you,” said Matos. “Coming to Monmouth as a Latinx person can sometimes be very isolating, and celebrations like this and seeing other people on campus like me makes me feel at home and welcome on campus.” Matos also explained how she approached Delgado to tell him how this event was the first time she felt allowed to be herself and represent her culture on campus. Matos added that having a speaker such as Diaz helped demonstrate the importance of Latina role models.
“It was a wonderful experience to be able to stand and represent the Latino community,” said Sheyla Calderon, a first year criminal justice student. “Hopefully I can represent the Latino community in other events.”
Hispanic Heritage Month at the University consists of several other events this month, including a dance performance on Oct. 3 in Anacon Hal by Alborada, a stereotype workshop on Oct. 10 in Pozycki Hall 206, and a musical performance on Oct. 19 in Pollak Theatre.
PHOTOS COURTESY of Alexis Delgado
