'Bienvenida Latina' Kicks Off Hispanic Heritage Month

Story by Broadside Correspondent Miguel Perez. Photo by Brittany Rouse.

Hispanic student groups came together on the quad by Student Union Building I on Sept. 15 to kickoff their celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month in Bienvenida Latina (Latin Welcome).

The event showcased the various Latino student groups on campus and featured panels of Latino sororities, fraternities and interest groups. It was also accompanied by live music, dancing, performances by the sororities and fraternities, and authentic Central American cuisine.

“You hear a lot about Mason’s diversity, but you don’t really get to see it,” said junior Michael Jennings, who works as webmaster and helped to print flyers for the event. “Today, I was able to see that diversity and culture we hear so much about.”

“The event was to welcome new Latino students at Mason and kick off our celebration of the National Hispanic Heritage month,” said junior Luis Gonzales, president of the Hispanic Student Association. “We organized [Bienvenida Latina] with all the other Hispanic student groups present on campus. People came, networked and ate food.”

The performances included an authentic, traditional Bolivian dance called “Caporales” and an Afro-Peruvian band. The unique, bright colored skirts and blouses worn by the dancers characterize Bolivian dancing.

Afro-Peruvian music is a fusion of Andean and African music that traces its roots to slavery. It has since evolved into many variants, but it is characterized by its distinct use of non-traditional instruments, such as the cajon (the box), a percussion instrument that resembles a drawer.

The food was catered by Centreville’s Castillo Café, who served, among other things, a Salvadorian tortilla called a Pupusa, Carne Asada, a roasted beef dish, and classical Mexican tacos. While the initial prices were about $5 per plate, as the event came to an end, the caterers reduced the prices, and those who stayed around were able to reap the benefits.

Also present at the event was the Immigration Advocacy Group, a student group made up of faculty and students who oppose the laws passed in Prince William County, where George Mason University holds a campus. The county passed a bill last year, requiring immigration status to be checked for the use of public services and facilities and requires law enforcement officials to check the status of criminal suspects.

The Immigration Advocacy Group panel featured a recreation of the Statue of Liberty and a banner with the words “Beautiful faces make beautiful places.” The group members handed out brochures and shared their points of view on immigration.

“We want to see the resolution, that the board of supervisors passed, rescinded due to the suffering it’s caused for immigrant families, documented and undocumented, and we are asking the president of the university to make a statement to end the resolution,” said sociology professor Victoria Rader. “Teachers tell us stories that people are scared to leave their homes, and that United States citizens are receiving calls threatening to be reported. This is also not just directed against Latinos.”

Another member of The Immigration Advocacy Group, PhD student of the Geography Department, Steve McClure, expressed his concern, “[People] don’t make a distinction between legal and illegal.”

The rest of the month and the first two weeks of October will continue to have many events hosted by the HSA and other Hispanic student groups. Highlights include the HSA’s first General Body meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 16 and the Cultural Fusion Field Day on Oct. 8.