University offers Latinx History Month events

10/14/2020 

From now until Oct. 14, members of SUNY Cortland's growing Latinx community will share their diverse cultures and histories with campus through an array of online activities.

During the university’s celebration of Latinx History Month students, faculty and staff will gather via online conferencing to learn about the Latinx experience, which includes people with roots in South or Central America or the Caribbean. For details, view the calendar at the end of this article.

It’s the second year the campus has held a coordinated calendar of Latinx History Month events (Sept. 15 to Oct. 15).

“There’s always been some events going on during this time period, at least in the five years I have worked here,” “But I noticed that things were very scattered,” said AnnaMaria Cirrincione, who directs the campus Multicultural Life and Diversity Office (MLDO).

“The Latinx and Latin American Studies Department, clubs like La Familia Latina and culturally based organizations all were doing things differently and not organizing them jointly,” she said. “But it wasn’t centralized like Black History Month with one calendar.”

Cirrincione has worked to get everyone on the same page. She recruited student intern and psychology major Samantha Castro to serve as Latinx History Month coordinator and reached out to L. Sebastian Purcell, an associate professor of philosophy who directs the university’s Honors Program and co-coordinates the academic curriculum Latino Latin-American Studies (LLAS). Cirrincione also worked with the student club La Familia Latina, other student organizations and culturally based organizations to bring the many related activities under the same umbrella. Program sponsors include: the Latinx and Latin American Studies Department, the Multicultural Life and Diversity Office, Ritmo Latino, La Familia Latina, Women of Color, Mu Sigma Upsilon Sorority, Inc., and D.R.A.M.A. 

“Last year was the first year where we had a joint series of events, such as having a keynote speaker with a meal catered by a Dominican restaurant in Syracuse,” Cirrincione said. “This year we couldn’t organize that same level of programming.”

Out of an abundance of caution due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all events this year will be virtual.

“We didn’t want to overwhelm everyone,” she added as a reason for the change. So there will be no keynote speaker and most events will be smaller virtual events and sandwich seminars mainly presented by Cortland faculty.

Purcell lined up one guest speaker, Sophia Ortiz Hinojosa, to present on Wednesday, Oct. 7.

Events began on Monday, Sept. 21.

“Personally, I’m a little bit torn on Latinx History Month as I think it’s something we should celebrate all year,” Cirrincione said. “At the same time, I think it’s important that we come together during this month. We need to continue to advocate for positive social change on issues that affect our communities and celebrate our beautiful history and shared culture.

“We would like to invite the campus community to join us in learning about and celebrating Latinx culture and history,” she said.

Remaining events are as follows:   

• Thursday, Oct. 1 – sandwich seminar: “Tu lucha es mi lucha” – (“Your struggle is my struggle: Black/Brown unity in the time of COVID and BLM”), presented by Christopher Ortega at noon — WebEx Link
• Tuesday, Oct. 6 — “Loteria Game Night” hosted by La Familia Latina at 6 p.m. (Instagram @lafamilialatina) — Zoom Link
• Wednesday, Oct. 7 — sandwich seminar: “Sor Juana and Her Aztec Sources,” presented by Sofia Ortiz-Hinojosa, an assistant professor of philosophy at Vassar College, at 5 p.m. — WebEx Link
• Wednesday, Oct. 14 – sandwich seminar: “New Developments in DACA and Immigration,” presented by Ute Ritz-Deutch at 12:30 p.m. — WebEx Link
• Friday, Oct. 16 — Punta Night: D.R.A.M.A will hold this rescheduled event at 4:30 p.m. Visit Instagram @cortland_drama or the WebEx link

For more information or questions, contact Currencies.