Hispanic Heritage Month
Join our annual celebration of the culture and history of the U.S. Hispanic and Latino communities!
See the full calendar of events, including a concert, festival and more!
Festival
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13
4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Hammond Parking Garage & Parking Lot
Purdue Northwest supports and acknowledges the rich Latino community on campus and in surrounding areas. Join us as we celebrate the diversity and richness of the Hispanic /Latino community with local food vendors, live entertainment and family-friendly activities. This event is open to the PNW students, faculty, staff and the community.
Upcoming Events
From festivals and celebrations to inspiring career talks, explore the range of events offered as part of Hispanic Heritage Month.
Si necesita más información sobre los eventos del mes de la Hispanidad en español favor de escribirnos a somos@pnw.edu. Con mucho gusto contestamos sus preguntas.
Dance Night
Tuesday, September 26
5 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Alumni Hall
Come join Honors College for Dance Lessons three times this month. Each class will have a featured dance style: Cumbia, Bachata and Salsa! Amaze your friends and yourself with how fantastic you’ll dance after lessons with our amazing instructor, Sylvia Lopez. Everyone is welcome!
Guest Speaker- Yosimar Reyes
Wednesday, September 27
10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Alumni Hall
Through Poetry, storytelling and Humor Yosimar Reyes brings us a fresh perspective on the lives of undocumented immigrants. In his presentation, Reyes explores the importance of undocumented immigrants being agents of their own stories. This presentation is engaging and insightful as it allows us to think of this community as more than two-dimensional but also as creators of their own futures.
Yosimar Reyes Event Registration
Immigration Conference
Thursday, September 28
Noon to 2 p.m.
SULB 321 and YJean Chambers
The Center for Global Studies hosts a day-long conference on immigration featuring two distinguished keynote speakers: Rahul Oka, Notre Dame Keogh School, Anthropology, and Global Affairs associate professor; and Illinois Institute of Technology, Latin American History Professor, Margaret Power.
The conference includes many inspirational and insightful panels such as “Immigration Rights and Obstacles,” and “Ways and Means for Immigration Reform.” Refreshments will be served and there will also be a theatrical performance at the end called “Ceviche in Pittsburgh!” The conference is free to students and the public. Pre-registration is requested.
Dance Night
Tuesday, October 3
5 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Alumni Hall
Come join Honors College for Dance Lessons three times this month. Each class will have a featured dance style: Cumbia, Bachata and Salsa! Amaze your friends and yourself with how fantastic you’ll dance after lessons with our amazing instructor, Sylvia Lopez. Everyone is welcome!
Anything for Selenas
Thursday, October 5
5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Alumni Hall
Join Unidos for our fourth annual Anything for Selenas event. A night of food, cumbia, and Karaoke Selena style. Bring your dancing shoes because you’ll want to “bailar esta cumbia.” Warm your voice to get ready to sing the night away.
The night is sure to create “fotos y recuerdos” so bring your amigos, primos, y comadres. We are MUY EXCITED!
Latino Excellence Luncheon
Wednesday, October 4
Noon to 2 p.m.
Alumni Hall
Latino Recognition Luncheon will be a time to recognize outstanding Latino student leaders, faculty and staff. We will be presenting our Somos Scholarship winner and a guest performance.
Festival
Friday, October 13
4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
PNW Parking Garage
Hispanic Heritage Month is an annual celebration of the culture and history of the U.S. Hispanic and Latino communities. Purdue Northwest supports and acknowledges the rich Latino community on campus and in surrounding areas.
Join us as we celebrate our third annual Hispanic Heritage Festival with enjoy local food vendors, live entertainment and family-friendly activities. This event is open to the PNW students, faculty, staff and the community.
The festival will feature performances from Mariachi Monumental De Mexico and Melanie.
Hispanic Heritage Month Launch Party
Monday, Sept. 11, and Tuesday, Sept. 12
11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
SULB (First Floor)
Celebrate the kick-off for Hispanic Heritage Month with Somos PNW! We will be highlighting all our amazing events coming up and giving out t-shirts to students while supplies last.
HHM Soccer Game
Saturday, September 9
11 a.m. – Men’s Soccer
2 p.m. – Women’s Soccer
Dowling Park
Come get a sneak preview to this year’s Hispanic Heritage Month events at PNW’s Sports Fest! Special guests for this event will include elementary students from our local Hammond schools and their families. Join us for an evening of sports, food, and fun!
See More Sports Fest Information
“El Grito”
Thursday, September 14
5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Founder’s Plaza
“El Grito” Spanish Club’s Mexican Independence Day Festival! The Spanish Club is hosting this event at Founder’s Plaza, Thursday. September 14th, 5 pm to 7 pm. This is their 10th annual festival. There will be food, music and dancing; El Grito de Dolores; Piñata; Lotería; other student organization info tables; photo booth table; kids coloring table; crafts table; Live mariachi music and Aztec dance performances.
“Latin Laughs” Comedy Show Fundraiser
Friday, September 15
8 p.m. to 9:30 pm.
Alumni Hall
Gwen La Roka
This year, the Office of Hispanic Initiatives and Alumni will be hosting their first-ever Comedy Night Fundraiser, featuring Chicago comedians Gwen La Roka, seen on HBO Max, Soli Santos from Chicago’s The Laugh Factory, and Anthony Fuentes from Zanies Comedy Night Club! Join us for a night full of “Latin Laughs” as we raise money for our SOMOS PNW Scholarship!
Tickets are $25 for community members. This event is free for all PNW students. Student tickets are available through MyPNW Life.
100% of ticket sales will go to funding the SOMOS PNW Scholarship!
**WARNING: This show will contain adult language**
Latino Book Club
Monday, September 18
noon to 1 p.m.
Hammond: SUL 214
Westville: LSF 241
This Hispanic Heritage Month, we will be hosting a Latino book club featuring one of the New York Times 100 Notable Books of 2020, The Undocumented Americans written by Ecuadorian author Karla Cornejo Villavicencio. This book portrays her own immigration story and profiles undocumented immigrants across the United States. We will meet three times throughout the semester to discuss the interesting topics this book invokes.
Dance Night
Tuesday, September 19
5 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Alumni Hall
Come join Honors College for Dance Lessons three times this month. Each class will have a featured dance style: Cumbia, Bachata and Salsa! Amaze your friends and yourself with how fantastic you’ll dance after lessons with our amazing instructor, Sylvia Lopez. Everyone is welcome!
Find, Fund & Grow
Wednesday, September 20
1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
SULB 321
Join the College of Business and Finance & Accounting Club for a presentation and Q&A session with CEO David Olivencia and Board Chair Adela Cepeda from Angeles Investors. Learn how they “find, fund and grow” Hispanic Ventures.
Questions? Contact Mary or Sam.
Pibo Marquez y Su Afromundo
Thursday, September 21
1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
CLO Mane Zone
Pibo Marquez y su Afromundo is a AfroLatino musical performance focused percussion rhythms. Pibo Marquez’s y su Afromundo is a sample of his grand project AFURAKA. The realization of this project is the highlight of his artistic career thus far. It fulfills the desire to bring together artistic and cultural manifestations that he has studied in depth for years in search of that Afro-American reality.
His journey has included the study, application, and personal teaching of the Afro-American manifestations that have taken him to different countries with roots of Afro culture such as Cuba, Brazil, Colombia, Trinidad, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Santo Domingo, Panama, Venezuela, also in the African continent such as Mali, Senegal, Nigeria, Mozambique, Tunisia, Morocco and others, he has been able to understand the particularities of artistic thought in each of these regions but has never seen the possibility of building an original thought on the Afro reality as a force of unity.
Westville MiniFest
Thursday, September 21
4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
LSF Plaza
Rain Location: Gym
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with us on our Westville Campus! The afternoon will be filled with music, food, games, and more! Featuring the performance of Ballet Folklorico Yolotzin, Sylvia Lopez, and DJ Impact. This event is open to students and the community.
Pachanga @ PNW
Friday, September 22
5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
PNW Parking Garage
Join our first-ever Hispanic Heritage Month Latino concert featuring Tiktok artist Brenden Perez, Spanish rock band “LaMor,” local tamborazo band from the Chicagoland area, “Tamborazo Chanillos,” and a PNW favorite, DJ Impact. It will be a night full of music, friends, delicious tacos and good vibes as we kick off Hispanic Heritage Month!
This event is open to everyone! PNW students are free plus 1 guest and everyone else is $10.
PNW Brings Together Culture and Community at Second Hispanic Heritage Festival
GreatNews.Life shares photos and highlights from Purdue University Northwest’s second annual Hispanic Heritage Festival. Held on PNW’s Hammond campus, the festival featured vendors, food and live entertainment, including a dance performance from Danzantes Aztecas.
Highlights from 2022
Come along as we celebrate the diversity and richness of the Hispanic/Latinx community. Free food, live entertainment and family-friendly activities were offered to make this year's Hispanic Heritage Festival the best one yet.
Come along as we celebrate the diversity and richness of the Hispanic/Latinx community. Free food, live entertainment and family-friendly activities were offered to make this year's Hispanic Heritage Festival the best one yet.
A variety of local vendors were set up at this year's Hispanic Heritage Festival.
Our students joined in on the celebration both as attendees and volunteers!
PNW was well represented in the Hispanic Heritage Parade, which took place before the Festival kicked off.
PNW's Hispanic Heritage Festival welcomed everyone - even some pups!
PNW's Baja team made a pit stop at the Hispanic Hertiage Festival to show off their car.
The PNW Spanish Club invited students to bring their friends and family and immerse themselves in the Mexican culture during the Mexican Independence Day Festival.
The PNW Spanish Club invited students to bring their friends and family and immerse themselves in the Mexican culture during the Mexican Independence Day Festival.
The PNW Spanish Club invited students to bring their friends and family and immerse themselves in the Mexican culture during the Mexican Independence Day Festival.
Student Life hosted journalist and comedian Ana Belaval from “Around Town” on WGN Morning News. A four-time Emmy Award Winner and Puerto Rico native, Ana previews notable attractions, people and activities with a dose of improv in her signature funny and fluent style.
Student Life hosted journalist and comedian Ana Belaval from “Around Town” on WGN Morning News. A four-time Emmy Award Winner and Puerto Rico native, Ana previews notable attractions, people and activities with a dose of improv in her signature funny and fluent style.
PNW spent an evening learning about the legendary Queen of Salsa, Celia Cruz. Performed by local Salsa singer, Sylvia Lopez.
Anything for Selenas offered a night of crafting, pizza and cumbia Selena style. Students could design their own Selena hat until no me queda más glitter and rhinestones.
Attendees of the Anything for Selenas event had plenty of photo booth opportunities.
Sponsors
PNW’s annual Hispanic Heritage Month is organized by the university’s Cultural Heritage Celebration Committee. The committee plans events in partnership with other PNW academic and business units that celebrate the diversity of PNW’s campus community.
To request a disability-related accommodation for this event, please contact the Office of Institutional Equity at timothyg@pnw.edu or (219) 989-2163 five days prior to the event.