Entra a La Plaza, a Hispanic cultural event hosted by Hispanos Unidos, will bring traditional Hispanic food and music to campus Friday.
“We are expecting 400 people to come this year,” said Elroy Johnson, junior marketing major from Frisco and Hispanos Unidos special events coordinator. “Last year, we had about 300 people.”
Johnson said he is excited for the event because of its family atmosphere and the learning opportunities it offers students.
The official Entra a La Plaza is a month-long event in the United States hosted by the Latino community to celebrate Hispanic heritage and cultural contributions. It takes place every year from Sep. 15 to Oct. 15.
ACU’s event will take place at 5 p.m. in the University Park Clubhouse. This is the sixth year Hispanos Unidos will host Entra a La Plaza at ACU.
“It’s not only open to students on campus, but also to people from the Abilene community,” said Luz Hernandez, junior marketing major from Houston and president of Hispanos Unidos.
“This event opens a great opportunity to learn and enjoy differences. They do not need to do anything; they can just sit, watching what is going on, eating and enjoying the culture psychically, ” Hernandez said.
Local restaurant sponsors will provide traditional Hispanic food, like rice, beans and burritos. Musicians are scheduled to perform during the event, featuring styles like the Dominican merengue, a combination of traditional African and Spanish music from the Dominican Republic, and Candombe, traditional African-Uruguayan music.
Hispanos Unidos, which means United Hispanics, has had a presence at ACU for 20 years. The organization is open to everyone on campus, regardless of origin or ethnicity. Its purpose is to promote awareness of the rich Hispanic culture on campus, said Wipeie Rojas, sophomore nursing major from Waxahachie.
Victoria Costa, junior public relations major from Winston Salem, N.C., has a Hispanic background – her mother is from Mexico and her father is from Uruguay.
“Different Latin countries have different cultures,” Costa said. “Spending time with other Latin people and knowing different cultures from different countries are really fun to me. It’s interesting how two different Latin cultures really are.”
Anh Nguyen, junior marketing major from Dallas, is Vietnamese but still enjoys spending time with Hispanos Unidos.
“Yes, I know a lot about Latin culture,” Anh said. “I like to make friends from all cultures. The best part of this event is that all races of the Latinos will be here -Â black, brown, Asian Latinos.”
Students interested in Hispanos Unidos are invited to attend the group’s Chapel in room 118 of Mabee Business Building every Thursday.
