Goucher Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month

Release date: September 16, 2009 |

Goucher College will celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, held from September 15 through October 15, with a series of arts presentations, film screenings, and social events.

Hispanic Heritage Month recognizes the contributions of Hispanic Americans to the United States and celebrates Hispanic heritage and culture. The observation started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week. September 15 was chosen as the starting point for the celebration because it is the anniversary of independence for five Latin-American countries — Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico declared its independence on September 16, and Chile on September 18.

Goucher’s Hispanic Heritage Month events are free and open to all students, faculty, and staff. For more information, contact Visiting Instructor of Spanish Maria Gomis-Quinto at maria.gomisquinto@goucher.edu.

The festivities begin with an opening celebration on Thursday, September 17, at 6 p.m. in the Corrin Gallery in Buchner Hall of the Alumnae/i House. The kickoff event will include a lecture by John Mason, who is an internationally noted scholar of Yorùbá culture in the Americas and West Africa, as well as an educator, artist, musician, and Obàtálá priest. The lecture, titled  “African Religion in Spanish-Speaking America and the Caribbean,” is free and open to all members of the Goucher community.

Participants will learn how to make paper flowers at a craft workshop on Tuesday, September 22, at 9 p.m. in the Gopher Hole. Traditional Mexican paper flowers are often used in the celebrations of Cinco de Mayo and Day of the Dead.

On Thursday, September 24, there will be a screening of the 2005 Argentine film Si sos brujo: una historia de tango (Si Sos Brujo: A Story of Tango)  at 7 p.m. in Heubeck Lounge. Caroline Neal directed this documentary, which tells the compelling story of a group of young Argentine musicians trying to preserve the elegant and nuanced music played by the legendary tango orchestras of Buenos Aires in the 1940s and 1950s.
A discussion will follow the screening.

There will be a viewing of Immokalee, U.S.A, a 2008 Australian film, on Monday, September 28, at 8 p.m. in Kelley Lecture Hall. This independent documentary follows six people who work as migrant farmers in Immokalee, Florida, to expose the realities of unfair labor practices. After the screening, the film’s director Georg Koszulinski will lead a discussion.

El laberinto del fauno (Pan’s Labyrinth), a 2006 film directed by Guillermo del Toro of Mexico, will be shown on Thursday, October 1, at 7 p.m. in Heubeck Lounge. Told through the eyes of a little girl whose imaginary world is inhabited by nightmarish creatures, this fantasy film is an allegorical take on life in Spain during World War II. After the screening, participants will have a chance to discuss the film.

On Monday, October 5, there will be a presentation of Por la libre (Dust to Dust) at 3 p.m. in Heubeck Lounge. Participants will view and discuss this 2000 film directed by Juan Carlos de Llaca. This bittersweet comedy from Mexico relates the tale of two cousins who are unalike in every way, except in their unconditional affection for their grandfather. It is through their grandfather’s dying wish that the young men are finally united.

The celebration’s closing event will feature a dance party on Friday, October 9, at 9 p.m. in the Gopher Hole. Goucher’s DJ Samway will spin a mix of Spanish, Latin American, and Caribbean music.

Goucher’s celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month is sponsored by the Department of Hispanic Languages, Literatures, and Cultures; the Department of Modern Languages; the Lectures and Fellowships Committee; and the offices of Community Living, Student Engagement, the Dean of Students, and the Provost.