Following Latin folk music into the doors of the ASU Art Museum, guests were welcomed with high-energy exhibits, workshops, dancing and refreshments to honor National Hispanic Heritage Month.
People, of all ages, gathered to learn and celebrate Día de Independencia, or Mexico's Independence Day, through all mediums of art.
"It's really important to provide these opportunities to come onto campus and see the high schoolers see themselves represented on the ASU campus," Victorya Esperanza said, a community coordinator for ASU Access. "Hispanic Heritage Month is just a great way to engage with these students."
Through ASU Access, Esperanza provided resources about what ASU offers for cultural celebrations while tabling at the event. The organization presents student body support for future Sun Devils.
The afternoon kicked off with the raising of the Mexican flag, where a consult from Mexico shouted the Cry of Dolores, also known as El Grito de Independencia, and said "¡Viva México!" This annual tradition reenacts the monumental moment of when Mexico gained their independence.
Gregorio González, another consult of Mexico, handed the flag off during the reenactment. The Cry of Dolores was only a small part of the flag tradition, ascities in Mexico usually have two days of fireworks, festivals and parades.
"It's very important to the new generation to know about the history and culture, because sometimes they can forget that culture from their countries," González said.
From making party paper decorations to dancing, culture was honored in every corner of the museum. In between workshops and tabling, attendees could walk around and see art that was being highlighted on the walls for National Hispanic Heritage Month.
"There's not just one way in which you can express yourself and show different aspects of your culture," Akayla Weathers said, a freshman studying theatre. "It opens doors and it shows people new things they might think when they see an art exhibit."
The entire celebration meant more to Weathers than surface-level fun. She said she felt as though it connected the community and highlighted the importance of inclusivity.
"It's really important, not just for diversity, but so people feel like they belong," Weathers said.
All generations were able to connect through traditions with guests ranging from 5 years old to 80 years old. As an ASU Access employee, Esperanza works specifically with high school students, but said this event was a great way to teach everyone about the history of National Hispanic Heritage Month.
"Oftentimes when we have these different cultural months, heritage months, we often overlook the history behind it," Esperanza said. "Having it at the ASU Art Museum, where there is a visual representation of the history — it's such a digestible way to learn."
Celebrating culture on campus is a value the ASU Access team holds highly. Esperanza said representing all types of people within ASU is important in feeling welcomed.
"Hispanic Heritage Month is just a great way to engage with these students, especially with how many events are happening on campus," Esperanza said. "It's such a great catalyst for those engagements."
ASU will celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 with more events and club activities, such as a celebration from the National Organization for Minority Architecture Students at ASU.
"It's really to portray or to show other people how meaningful our culture is, that it's not just another country or someplace that people come from," Camila Fonseca said, a freshman studying biochemistry.
Edited by Senna James, Abigail Beck, Tiya Talwar and Madeline Schmitke.
Reach the reporter at glmcfar1@asu.edu and follow @ginia_mcfarland on X.
Like The State Press on Facebook and follow @statepress on X.
Ginia is a junior studying journalism and mass communication with a minor in criminology. This is her third semester with The State Press. She has also worked at Arizona Capital Times and KTAR News.
