Hispanos Unidos and the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion hosted their annual Entra A La Plaza event on Sept. 22. During this event, students, faculty and the Abilene community experienced Hispanic culture through food, music and dance.

“Entra a La Plaza is our Hispanic Heritage event, and we have food, all kinds of activities, dancing, Zumba, giveaways, and it’s not just for ACU students alone, but it’s a community event,” said Victoria Haynes, a biology pre-dental major from Dallas. “I love this event because we engage with the community outside of campus, and I think that’s super important.”

Entra a La Plaza was created by Hispanos Unidos to celebrate Hispanic culture and get others involved with the Hispanic community.

“Hispanos Unidos is basically an organization here on campus catered for students of Hispanic descent to have a safe space to congregate. They get to meet other people of the same culture but at the same time,” said Damaris Cantu, senior psychology major from Edinburg. “People from other cultures can come and learn from our culture or possibly relate.”

In recent years, Entra a La Plaza has been seen as a staple for Hispanic Heritage Month, and it has become one of the biggest events for Hispanos Unidos. It is an event that people of any ethnicity and culture can come to, enjoy themselves, have a good time, and learn about a culture different or similar to theirs.

“I hope a lot of people show up, and that people continue to be engaged in HU,” Haynes said. “We hope that we continue to have engagement in our organization, and we hope that people continue to come to our events, even if they aren’t as big or as glamorous as Entra.”

Being a Hispanic student on ACU’s campus can be difficult because of the lack of representation.

“I was seeking that Hispanic community,” Haynes said. “I felt that I really lacked that since being a freshman. HU gave me an opportunity to not only be involved in an organization that celebrates and appreciates Hispanic culture, but it also gave me an opportunity to serve and give back to my community.”

Hispanos Unidos meets for chapel every Tuesday at 11 a.m. in the Onstead Biblical Studies building in room 128.