In the United States, every year from September 15th to October 15th, Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated, recognizing the contributions that the Latino community, the largest minority in this country, has made to the culture, economy, and local societies of which more than 60 million Hispanics and Latin Americans are part. Numerous activities are carried out by federal, state, and local government agencies, non-governmental associations, higher education institutions, among many other entities committed to joining this month of recognition and celebration.
The University of Massachusetts, the institution that hosts the UNAM Headquarters in Boston, was no exception. Throughout these four weeks, an agenda of academic and cultural activities has been organized with the purpose of promoting Hispanic and Latin American culture among the university community, recognized as the third most diverse university in the country. These activities have been jointly promoted by various entities within the University, such as the student association "Casa Latina," the Department of Student Multicultural Affairs, the Department of Latin American and Iberian Studies, the Office of Global Programs, among others. At the invitation of the organizers, UNAM Boston has joined the Hispanic Heritage Month programming and taken the lead in some of the activities mentioned below.
An art workshop on Huichol art was organized, where UMass Boston students learned about this Mexican tradition and were able to create their own jewelry pieces using beads guided by a Mexican artisan residing in New England. In coordination with a cook from Durango who arrived more than 20 years ago in the United States, a class/demonstration of pre-Hispanic Mexican food was offered to the university community. In this session, they learned to peel nopales and had the opportunity to taste dishes such as chapulines, huitlacoche, esquites, agua de Jamaica, among others. Likewise, the Headquarters participated in the Hispanic art exhibition organized by Casa Latina, where various pieces were exhibited to "show the colors, stories, and heritage that define the heart and soul of Hispanic artistic traditions."