Reception kicks off Hispanic Heritage Month

Junior Gabi Acquaro said National Hispanic Heritage Month means something special for her.

“My mother was from Mexico, which has a very family-oriented culture. The heritage month gives me a chance to meet people from that background,” Acquaro said. “And that’s also why I choose to study anthropology and Spanish here. I want to learn the culture.”

Members from the Bloomington community and University gathered in the Grand Hall at the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center on Wednesday to kick-off the annual celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month.

The reception was co-sponsored by the City of Bloomington Commission on Hispanic and Latino Affairs, the IU Latino Studies Program, the Latino Faculty/Staff Council and La Casa Latino Cultural Center. Representatives from the city government and University culture centers were also invited.

Among the speakers at the event, Bloomington Mayor Mark Kruzan addressed this year’s proclamation. However, instead of reading all the way through the letter on his hand, the mayor addressed the issues related to the diminution of Latinos in the United States and suggested a solution.

“The Federal government cannot solve this problem by itself,” Kruzan said. “The city and the community have to work together and make people recognize the Latino culture in our country and celebrate it.”

The mayor did not take a look at the proclamation letter until he finished his point.

To close his remarks, Kruzan read only the last line.

“Therefore, I, Mark Kruzan, mayor of the City of Bloomington, hereby recognize the days from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 as National Hispanic Heritage Month,” he said.

Kruzan has been supportive of the cultural heritage months. He has not only attended this celebration, but also ones for the American Indian Heritage and Asian/Pacific American Heritage months.

At the reception, the Commission on Hispanic and Latino Affairs recognized an individual and an organization at the reception for making special contributions to Latino Americans in the community.

This year, Lillian Casillas, director of La Casa, received the individual award, while Habitat for Humanity of Monroe County received the organization award.
Casillas expressed her appreciation and hopes when awarded. She said it was the people rather than the programs that should be celebrated.

“I wish that we can award all the people who have contributed to the Latino culture, not just a certain individual,” Casillas said. “In this Hispanic Heritage Month, we should let people know that they should feel like home here, feel like they belong to this family.”