La Casa Latino Cultural Center will be celebrating their 45-year anniversary Oct. 5 and 6 with talks, networking and a meet-and-greet.
This celebration is dedicated to students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members who have contributed to its advocacy, community building and educational role on the Bloomington campus and elsewhere, said La Casa Director Lillian Casillas. This weekend is free and open to all.
“This event is a way to reconnect with members of the community in hopes of having a bigger event for the 50-year anniversary,” Casillas said.
The celebration will begin with an IU Latino Alumni Board meeting at the the DeVault Alumni Center on Friday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. with a follow-up reception at La Casa at 7 p.m. This meeting will inform attendees about the association and will provide alumni, staff and other students a chance to network.
The festivities continue Saturday with a campus tour at 10:30 a.m. at La Casa. This tour is for alumni, staff and students. At 12 p.m. to 2 p.m., there will be a 45-year legacy luncheon in the Frangipani Room. La Casa and the Latino Alumni Board will recognize a distinguished graduate and others.
At 2:30 p.m., Adele Lozano, an assistant professor at University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, will talk about the role cultural centers play especially in connection to leadership on campus. Lozano is a researcher for cultural centers, specifically those for Latinos.
The final event will be an Alumni Meet-and-Greet at the Luis Davila Latinx Thematic Community at 4 p.m. Alumni will have a chance to see the living learning community and meet the residents. Casillas said alumni have asked about the living learning community and never had a chance to have a space like it.
Although La Casa’s doors opened in November 1973, the cultural center celebrates earlier to connect with Hispanic Heritage Month and its celebration, recognition and contribution to Latino history and culture.
Casillas said the overall theme for any event whether it’s La Casa’s anniversaries, Hispanic Heritage Month or Latinos Leadership — a conference at IU in February that celebrates Latino students and spread awareness of specific challenges Latinos face in obtaining education — is "education is power."
“Part of this event is to recognize all those who continue to contribute to help students access education and lead them to graduation,” Casillas said.
