The College’s annual Hispanic/Latino Heritage Month kicked off Sunday with a celebration entitled “El Grito” (The Cry). Festivities included a catered dinner followed by dancing in south campus’ La Casa Hispanica (Harvey House).
“The Cry” is used to describe the event in which Mexico gained its independence from Spain in 1810. The Hispanic students of Oberlin hosted an El Grito celebration not only to honor Mexican Independence, but also six other Latin American Independence days that happen to fall on Sept. 15.
Close to 60 people from all factions of the College attended the celebration in the festively decorated lounge of La Casa Hispanica, enjoying authentic Hispanic cuisine from Elyria’s Puerto Rican restaurant El Kafon.
This year’s Hispanic Heritage Month is seeing a more united effort among the different Latino interest groups around campus including the Hispanic Studies Department, La Casa Hispanica, La Alianza Latina and the Multicultural Resource Center.
Through this month’s different planned events, the richness and variety of “academic and intellectual issues of [Hispanic] culture” will be presented, Chair of the College’s Hispanic Studies Department Ana Cara said.
Hispanic/Latino Heritage Month was created in order to recognize the College’s Hispanic community as well as the contributions made by Hispanic and Latino people to the U.S., Central America, South America and the world as a whole.
The College’s Latino and Hispanic community has recently seen dramatic changes in its promotion and organization. Only a short while ago was the Department of Hispanic Studies was made independent of the Department of Romance Languages. Also of note is the percentage of Hispanic students in this year’s freshman class, the largest seen by Oberlin in some time.
The new members of Oberlin’s Latino community, “are an enthusiastic, active group of people,” Cara exclaimed. The month of speakers, films, food and music should prove rewarding for the entire campus.
Hispanic/Latino Heritage Month will be continuing through Oct. 15 and myriad other events have yet to occur, including a series of lectures delivered by visiting professors and prominent Hispanic community members, documentaries, a guest musical recital, as well as a Chilean art exhibit, open every weekday in La Casa Hispanica from 4:30 to 6 p.m.
“Absolutely everyone is welcome to attend all the events,” said Cara.
Fliers are posted all around campus stating specific event times and locations, and all are free except the final Dia de la Raza event, which will be held at the ’Sco and cost students $3 with an OCID.