Hispanos Unidos presents ‘Entra a La Plaza’ to celebrate the diversity of the Hispanic community.

This past Friday, Hispanos Unidos organized an event ‘Entra a La Plaza.’ With it being Hispanic Heritage Month, it is one of their biggest events. 

‘Entra a La Plaza’ took place outside the Hunter Welcome Center this year. It was on Family Weekend in hopes of not only bringing in students but their families and other people in the Abilene community. 

The purpose of ‘Entra a La Plaza’ is to celebrate the Hispanic communities diversity and culture while sharing it with others. It creates community and encourages love and support. 

The food served included traditional Hispanic meals like tacos, rice, beans and elote. For refreshments there was aguas frescas, horchata, lemonade, sodas and waters. For dessert there were paletas, candies and pan dulce. 

They had a DJ and ballet folklorico. A traditional Mexican dance that focuses on choreography, pointed toes, exaggerated movements and beautiful, colorful wardrobe. 

Princess Payan, junior  english and political science major from Dallas and president of Hispanos Unidos, said her freshman year was not the best and she constantly felt out of place until she became a part of Hispanos Unidos. 

“It wasn’t until I found Hispanos Unidos that I had a reason to stay at ACU. My purpose then became to help others feel welcome and like they have a place,” Payan said.  

Payan said it was memorable having parents come up to her and tell her how glad they are that ACU has something like this on campus. 

“Families from San Antonio said that they loved it because it reminded them of Fiesta at home and getting non-Hispanic students telling me that they learned a new dance or that they’ve never had agua de jamaica and they loved it,” Payan said. 

ACU has a Hispanic/Latino student base of 16.4 percent. Promoting diversity is important to the university. 

Hispanos Unidos wants to create a space where Hispanic students feel safe and at home. The goal is to get the students involved on campus. 

“College is already scary but it is scarier when you feel like you don’t belong. I want the Hispanos Unidos members to know that we should be proud of our roots and that we can succeed,” Payan said.