National Hispanic Heritage Month began Sept. 15 with students and organizations celebrating their cultural heritage across campus.

Student organizations will celebrate this month with events such as Entra A La Plaza, Chapels with Hispanic speakers and other smaller events including game and movie nights. The upcoming events are as follows:

• Entra A La Plaza, Sept. 30 at 6 p.m. at the GATA Fountain
• Bidi Bidi Banda Selena Tribute, Oct. 7 at 8 p.m. in the Hunter Welcome Center
• Hispanos Unidos Movie night, Oct. 12 at 6 p.m., Location TBA
• ACU Summit for Hispanic community Oct. 13-14 at the Onstead-Packer Biblical Studies Building in room 103

This year, Hispanos Unidos is using Hispanic Heritage month to promote and educate.

Entra A La Plaza is the biggest event of the year for Hispanos Unidos, Dama Cantu, event coordinator for HU and senior psychology major from Edinburg said.   

“Every year I notice that everyone comes, faculty, staff and students from other cultures,” Cantu said. “Overall, it is just a really big party and it’s a great way for people to meet each other.”  

Entra A La Plaza is a chance for the ACU community to learn and celebrate heritage from Hispanic countries by eating food and listening to music. 

HU President and senior nursing major from Kaufman Dylan Cordero said the main takeaway from this event is for people to realize there are other traditions to take in. 

“People of the culture want other people to learn what goes into our culture,” Cordero said. “I want them to be able to go home and tell their families, maybe they don’t have this where they come from, it’s just a big learning experience.”

Observation of National Hispanic Heritage Month started in 1968, enacted by President Lyndon B. Johnson, and was expanded for the 30-day period by President Ronald Reagan.  Ending Oct. 15, this month will celebrate the histories and cultures of American citizens from countries like Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.

Another reason for celebration that surrounds National Hispanic Heritage Month is the independence of Latin American countries like Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. 

Claudia Panta Santos, president of the International Student Association and senior music major from Abilene said the main takeaway of the month is to celebrate and highlight Hispanic culture and roots individually.

Originally, Panta is from Peru and most Hispanic countries do not celebrate this month, however, she understands the importance of this month to the U.S.

“It is important for me to remember where I come from,” Panta said. “I feel like part of the reason why I came here is to learn from the American culture and sometimes one can get so immersed in it that you can forget your own roots.”

ISA is home to many international students that are Hispanic and is making sure they are being seen and heard this month, Panta said.

“Sometimes it’s good to feel celebrated,” Panta said. “It’s good to feel that people want to know more and celebrate you for who you are and not for the American version of yourself.”