Since her first year at IU, graduate student Stephanie Huezo has attended the Nuestras Raises event at La Casa Latino Cultural Center, where people of all backgrounds come to share stories of their families through songs, poetry and discussion.
Now, Huezo is helping to organize this year’s event Sept. 21. The event is one of many playing a part in IU’s Hispanic Heritage Month celebration beginning Sept. 9.
A variety of events that explore aspects of Hispanic and Latino culture via celebrations will take place through Oct. 21 for Hispanic Heritage Month.
Huezo said the event is like adult show and tell. People bring songs, stories and sometimes objects such as blankets and use them to talk about their families and backgrounds.
“My first year here, I went to this event and it was a cool way of getting to know people,” Huezo said. “We get to know each other through stories, through our family histories. We get to know them more than the superficial way.”
The event is open to everyone, even people who don’t come from a Latino or Hispanic background, and Huezo said it often ends up being an identity discussion.
Nuestras Raises is one of more than 30 programs offered throughout Hispanic Heritage month at IU. One featured program includes a presentation from Poet Laureate Juan Felipe Herrera on Sept. 30.
“I’m excited to hear a poet and see a couple films,” Casillas said. “I get to sit down with families and hear stories. That’s how it should be, that we expose ourselves to a variety of topics.”
Different events throughout the month include discussions about films, poetry, a festival and storytelling. There is also an event hosted by the Latino Graduate Student Association to help undergraduate students apply for graduate school.
“I think it’s important that we celebrate all different kinds of cultures,” Casillas said. “The population is growing and there’s lots of misconceptions. If we are really going to create a community as a whole we really need understand each other. The light is on us to encourage folks to get to know some aspects of the Latino community.”
