The Latinx Student Association, or LSA, held their first event of the year to celebrate Latinx Heritage Month. The event is held every year and is called “Una Noche en la Plaza,” which translates to “a night in the park.”
Angie Castro, LSA president, explained the significance of this event as well as the meaning behind it. The event all focused on celebrating and giving a space to celebrate Latin American people
“The community is still there and here we are,” Castro said.
The purpose of events like Una Noche en la Plaza that the LSA hosts are to create a space for Latinx and non-Latinx individuals alike. They highlight the different resources available to members of the Latinx community as well as students at UW-Eau Claire.
The event featured multiple different tables showcasing Latin American-based involvement both within the university and in the community. There were artists, student organizations, nonprofits and many other tables.
An independent artist and student of UW-Eau Claire, Lis Recinos, showcasing her art and selling a few pieces to make a profit. Lidixe Montoya, a representative of Neighbor to Neighbor Ministry, also attended the event and explained the organization’s mission against racial and social injustice.
Bree Wilson, the LSA community outreach coordinator, gave her thoughts on the event.
“It’s a way to show that Eau Claire is more diverse than people think,” Wilson said.
LSA isn’t the only student organization that celebrates diversity on campus. Wilson emphasized events like Una Noche en la Plaza are traditions that should be held every year.
“We just wanted to share our culture with other people that might not be too familiar with it,” Wilson said.
There were many students and faculty members present to appreciate the Latinx culture. For non-Latinx individuals, there were posters explaining the different aspects of Latin American culture.
Before entering the Dakota Ballroom, there were multiple stands highlighting influential Latinx people including Lin Manuel Miranda, Zelia Nuttall, Ellen Ochoa and George Melendez Wright. The purpose of this was to empower Latinx people and showcase their impact throughout time.
To further showcase the success and importance of the Latinx community, LSA will be holding more events during Latinx Heritage Month. From Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, LSA plans on hosting three total events.
According to LSA’s instagram, the first event was Una Noche en la Plaza and the upcoming events include a movie screening of “Tortilla Soup” on Oct. 8 and a banquet celebrating everything LSA on Oct. 15.
According to the National Museum of the American Latino, the purpose of Latinx Heritage Month is to give time to prioritize their impact on society. The community encourages people to attend these events to show support and have fun in the process. At Una Noche en la Plaza, they offered homemade churros, esquites, bolón de plátano and horchata.
“Being able to step out of your comfort zone and talk to people about their cultural identity helps a lot,” Castro said.
According to Castro, learning more about the unique identity of each individual is something important. She spoke about keeping an open mind, not just towards Latinx people, but towards everyone and embracing diversity.
Arab can be reached at [email protected].
