A logo for PNW Hispanic Heritage Month 2023, with that text in the center of a colorful border.

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!

Español

HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH PHOTO HIGHLIGHTS

Mariachi Monumental De Mexico poses on the field at Guaranteed Rate Field.

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!

Dance Night Registration


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.

See the Schedule


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!

Dance Night Registration


Anything for Selenas

Thursday, October 5

5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Alumni Hall

Five women stand together in matching pink shirts that read "Selenas"

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

Two photos: Left - Mariachi Monumental De Mexico. Right - MelanieHispanic 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 De La Roka

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!

Purchase Fundraiser Tickets

**WARNING: This show will contain adult language**


Latino Book Club

Monday, September 18

noon to 1 p.m.

Hammond: SUL 214
Westville: LSF 241

Book cover: "The Undocumented Americans" and photo of author Karla Cornejo VillavicencioThis 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.

Book Club Registration


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!

Dance Night Registration


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.

MiniFest Registration


Pachanga @ PNW

Friday, September 22

5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

PNW Parking Garage

LaMor and Brenden PerezJoin 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.

Purchase Concert Tickets


A dancer in Danzantes Aztecas performs at PNW's Hispanic Heritage Month

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.

See the Hispanic Heritage Festival Recap

Highlights from 2022


Sponsors

Logo: BCC. Burke Constanza & Carberry, Attorneys at Law. Advisors you want. Advocates you need.

Logo: Lake County Sherriff Text featured with Lake County Sheriff Badge

Pepsico

Logo: State Farm

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.