Texas A&M International University (TAMIU), one of the Top 10 Colleges with the Most Hispanic Students in the nation, proudly kicks off its observance of Hispanic Heritage Month with a full offering of engaging lectures, presentations, and activities.
The month-long celebration will launch with a traditional El Grito, Thursday, Sept. 16, from 7-9 p.m. in the Student Center Green at an event organized by student organization, Campus Activities Board (CAB).
As part of the celebration during the month of September, TAMIU’s campus food services provider, Aramark, will also serve dishes inspired by recipes from various Latin American countries at Dusty’s Diner.
TAMIU Hispanic Heritage Month events are the result of collaboration between the TAMIU Student Orientation, Leadership and Engagement (SOLE), student organization Campus Activities Board, the TAMIU Office for International Engagement. and the TAMIU Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Committee (TIDE).
Dr. Peter Haruna, TIDE co-chair, said TAMIU encourages the public to participate in both virtual and face-to-face Hispanic Heritage Month offerings.
“TIDE is excited to welcome the TAMIU community and the public to participate in these social-cultural enrichment events,” he said, “The events are presented in both virtual and face-to-face formats to allow participants greater flexibility in choosing from lectures, presentations, and activities they would like to attend.”
Anchoring the calendar of activities during Hispanic Heritage Month will be the launch of TAMIU’s first-ever “Diverse Cultures, Diverse Humanities” Lecture Series, which is funded by a Humanities Texas grant. The virtual series, which will present three lectures this Fall and four more virtual lectures in Spring 2022, is designed to bridge diversity and inclusion topics with the Humanities.
All Series lectures will take place in the evenings at 7 p.m. Central Time and are free and open to anyone interested in joining. To register, visit https://www.tamiu.edu/coas/lla/diversity-series/index.shtml
The first Series installment will be on Thursday, Sept. 16, and will present Caribbean and Hispanic literature specialist and Syracuse University Professor Dr. Silvio Torres-Saillant. His lecture is titled, “Racist Violence as Civilization in the Americas since 1492.”
On Thursday, Sept. 30, acclaimed South Texas writer ire’na lara silva will speak about “Art and Transformation: The Stories That Shape Us.” silva is the author of four poetry collections, “furia,” “Blood Sugar Canto,” “CUICACALLI/House of Song,” “FirstPoems,” two chapbooks, “Enduring Azucares” and “Hibiscus Tacos,” and a short story collection, “flesh to bone,” which won the Premio Aztlán.
Two accomplished TAMIU professors, Dr. Irma Cantú, and Dr. Abigail Meert, will speak Thursday, Oct. 14, about “Women in the Developing World.”
Dr. Cantú is associate professor of Mexican and Colonial Literature at TAMIU. She has published numerous articles and essays on travel writing and Orientalism in journals in the United States, México, and Europe.
Dr. Meert is an assistant professor of History at TAMIU. Her research focuses on the study of conflict and society in East Africa, looking specifically at how East African political leaders have constructed and asserted their legitimacy since independence.
Activities offered during Hispanic Heritage Month also include the following:
Friday, Sept. 17, from 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Student Center Ballroom — International Leadership Series presentation, “Femicide: An Ongoing Human Rights Challenge in Latin America,” featuring Dr. Pamela Nuemann, TAMIU assistant professor of Sociology. Open to the public.
Wednesday, Sept. 22, from 4:30 – 5:30 p.m., Academic Innovation Center, room 128 — Social Justice Leadership Series presentation, “Self Identity and Basic Human Rights,” featuring Nayeli López, TAMIU assistant director of Student Activities, Student Orientation, Leadership and Engagement. Open to the public.
Wednesday, Oct. 6, from 4:30 – 5:30 p.m., Student Center, room 236 — Panel presentation, “Hispanic Business Owners in Laredo.” Open to the public.
Tuesday, Oct. 12, from 12 – 1 p.m., TAMIU Dusty’s Diner, — SOLE Talks presentation, “Latino Representation in Marvel Comics and Film.” Open to students only.
Friday, Oct. 15, from 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Student Center Ballroom, — “LGBT Rights in Latin America,” featuring Dr. Aaron Olivas, TAMIU associate professor of History. Open to the public.
Charged by the office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, TIDE is committed to The Texas A&M University System’s normative principles of diversity, equity and inclusion. It is further committed to advancing the cause of these principles by pursuing cross-cultural exploration, inter-cultural relationship- building, and mutual learning and growth through events and activities that celebrate the unity of cultures in a democratic environment.
For more information, contact TAMIU’s Office of Public Relations, Marketing and Information Services at (956) 326.2180, email prmis@tamiu.edu or visit offices located in the Sue and Radcliffe Killam Library, room 268.
