To complete Hispanic heritage month at American River College, the Latinx Center is hosting a Dia De Los Muertos observation on Oct. 31, in line with ARC’s expanded efforts to promote engagement and representation among Latinx students enrolled at the school.
In years previous, Dia De Los Muertos was celebrated at ARC with a potluck as well as a small altar, known as an ofrenda, in the Unite Center. This small and intimate event was put on by the Puente Project, a program designed for the purpose of increasing the number of underrepresented students enrolled in four-year colleges and universities.
This year, however, students and faculty will find the event taking place in the Student Center from noon to 2 p.m. and the observation will be expanded to include such additions as a larger ofrenda, as well as free food supplied by the Latinx Center. This effort has been supported under guidance from Uriel Delgado, ARC’s director of Hispanic-serving institutions.
The Latinx Center is also working to secure sugar skulls, mariachi, and working with the ARC Horticulture Department to secure marigolds for the event, all for the purpose of celebrating Latinx culture at ARC and increasing their inclusivity within the greater student body.
Since most students who identify as Latinx aren’t limited to just that label, seeing that inclusivity occur among a wide range of diverse individuals stands paramount in Delgado’s efforts.
“We want to be able to make sure that even if it’s just a small percentage of students that are both Latino and queer, that we have programming for them. [That we have options for] students who are Latino and native, that we have that programming. [That we have options for students] if they’re Afro Latino, that we have programming. That being able to show Latino is just not one thing,” Delgado said.
Hispanic heritage month specifically has been a pet project for Delgado, who is working in his first year as HSI director following the HSI grant that ARC received last year. Rather than keep the event isolated to the Unite Center like year’s past, Delgado hopes that there will be increased exposure by having the event take place in the Student Center. Additionally, the event will showcase more publicly engaging presentations than previous years, as well as free food options that would encourage any students unfamiliar with Hispanic culture to learn more about a community that represents at least 25% of the student body.
“My approach…is being able to blend both our Latino/Latina students and the non-Latino/Latina students, and being able to introduce them into our culture. If other students want to be informed [about Latinx culture], they’re more than welcome to,” Delgado said.
Through this event, students at ARC interested in Hispanic culture can observe Dia De Los Muertos alongside many of the most intimate aspects of a culture that celebrates their ancestors. From the ofrenda honoring those family and friends who have passed, to the beautiful and colorful papel picado, the love shown to the generations past will be in full display for the generations that are still among us, no matter their walks of life.
