Food, culture and games mark Hispanic Heritage Month at Fresno Pacific University

Fresno Pacific University will celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month September 15-October 15, 2024, with a variety of events on the main campus, 1717 S. Chestnut Ave., Fresno.

• Paletas with President's Cabinet-September 17, 12:40-1:50 p.m.
  • Enjoy a cold treat and spend some time connecting with members of President's Cabinet during activity hour in the Forest (Alumni Plaza).
• Connect-September 19, 1:00 p.m.
  • Join us in the Warkentine Culture and Arts Center Lin Family Performance Studio (black box theater) during College Hour for a conversation with Edgar Manriquez, D.S.W., clinical assistant professor of social work and Folklorico Dance Club advisor.
• Loteria Night-September 25, 5:00 p.m. food trucks, 5:30 p.m. first round Loteria
  • Loteria Night is a fun evening of food, music, lawn games and of course, Loteria (sometimes referred to as "Mexican Bingo") on the Campus Green. All are invited, and no Loteria experience is needed to play the game and win prizes.
• Movie Night-October 1, 5:00 p.m.
  • Join us in the Steinert Campus Center Lounge for a movie and discussion led by Norlan Hernandez, Ph.D., associate provost of engagement and inclusive teaching and learning.
• Family Fiesta & Alumni Panel-October 5, 4:00-8:00 p.m.
  • All staff, faculty, students, alumni, community members and friends of the university are invited to join us for Homecoming Weekend. Events include a family-friendly carnival, dinner in Shehadey Dining Hall, a special performance by FPU Folklorico Dance and an opportunity to hear stories of success from FPU alumni.

National Hispanic Heritage Week was signed into law in 1968 and expanded to a month 20 years later. September 15 was chosen as the start date to honor the beginning of the Mexican War of Independence that resulted in independence for Mexico Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Honduras, and Nicaragua.

National Hispanic-Serving Institutions Week

Preceding Hispanic Heritage Month is National Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) Week September 9-15. The U.S. Department of Education defines an HIS as having "an enrollment of undergraduate full-time equivalent students that is at least 25 percent Hispanic students." At FPU, 60% of students identify as Hispanic.

To honor National Hispanic-Serving Institutions Week, President Biden issued a proclamation reading, in part: "Education is a ticket to a better life, and for more than 4.7 million Hispanic and Latino students, Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) make it possible. The over 500 HSIs across our country are home to over half of Hispanic and Latino college students. During National Hispanic-Serving Institutions Week, we celebrate these critical postsecondary institutions, which empower our students to pursue the full limits of their talent and ambition.

"HSIs are engines of opportunity, success, and upward mobility. They serve Dreamers, first-generation college students, and many who come from low-income and underserved communities. HSIs empower their students, no matter the students' backgrounds, to obtain their degrees and begin building a more secure, prosperous future for themselves and their families."

Congress first formally designated HSIs in 1992.

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