Indiana University will mark National Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs Sept. 15 through Oct. 15, with a host of programs and special activities on IU’s campuses and in surrounding communities.

National Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates the heritage and culture of Hispanic and Latine Americans and honors their contributions to the United States. It is held each year during the anniversary of independence for the Latin American countries of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua, and in celebration of Independence Day in Chile and Mexico.

“The activities and programs we feature at Indiana University as part of National Hispanic Heritage Month are extremely important in making sure that people of all backgrounds are acknowledged and honored,” says James Wimbush, IU vice president for diversity, equity and multicultural affairs and Johnson Chair for Diversity and Leadership.

“IU's Latine students, faculty and staff are an integral part of this university, but I also hope that our community can use this occasion as a reminder to celebrate and learn about their heritage and culture throughout the entire year,” Wimbush adds.

In addition to IU’s partnership with the Indiana Latino Expo (held Oct. 14–15), events and programs celebrating IU's National Hispanic Heritage Month include:

• Hispanic Heritage Month Fiesta – IU Kokomo will hold a fiesta celebration featuring mariachi musicians, dancing, free food and more on Sept. 21 from 4:30–9:30 p.m. in Alumni Hall in the Kelley Student Center.
• “Sabores de Mexico: Food Club” – IU Bloomington, September 24, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Learn the simple steps of creating delicious Mexican food from scratch using fresh ingredients. First session: corn tortillas and salsas.
• Café con Pan Series – IUPUI, September 29, 4:00 p.m. at Taylor Hall UC 101. This event focuses on the intersections of identity and issues within the Latino/a community through dialogue over coffee and pan dulce (pastries).
• “Brown Enough with Christopher Rivas” – Actor, author, podcaster, and storyteller Christopher Rivas comes to IU Bloomington at 7 p.m. on October 3 at the Godfrey Center at the Kelley School of Business to share his new book, Brown Enough. Sponsored by the Kelley Graduate Office of Diversity & Inclusion. 
• IDENTITIES MATTER: What does it mean to be Latino/Latina, Latinx, Hispanic, and Chicano? – IU Northwest, October 13, 3 p.m. at Bergland Auditorium. Join us for a panel discussion featuring Dr. Raoul Contreras from the department of Latino Studies as he explores the history and varied meanings of the terms Latino/a, Latinx, Hispanic and Chicano.

Visit IU’s events calendar for a complete listing of events.

In addition, campus communities have access to a wide variety of digital tools, including Zoom backgrounds, social profile images and Snapchat filters to further support National Hispanic Heritage Month.

Access digital tools and learn more about NHHM at diversity.iu.edu.