On the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga campus, events, activities and educational programs occur throughout Hispanic Heritage Month to promote a deeper understanding and appreciation of the diverse cultures and backgrounds of Hispanic and Latino communities.
The celebration, from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15, coincides with the independence celebrations of several Latin American countries—including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua—which all declared their independence on Sept. 15, 1821. Mexico’s independence day falls on Sept. 16 and Chile’s on Sept. 18, further adding to the significance of the timeframe.
The theme of Hispanic Heritage Month 2023 is “Todos Somos, Somos Uno: We Are All, We Are One.”
Initially started as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson in 1968, Hispanic Heritage Month was expanded to a month-long observation in 1988 by President Ronald Reagan.
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On Tuesday, Oct. 3, the Division of Diversity and Engagement and the College of Arts and Sciences will present “Un Nuevo Pasado/Someday Soon: A Documentary by Pablo Mazariegos.” The event, which takes place from 6-7:30 p.m. in the UTC Fine Arts Center’s Roland Hayes Concert Hall, will consist of the film’s screening and a session with its creator.
The free event is open to the public.
In “Un Nuevo Pasado,” Mazariegos examines the immigration path of Guatemalan immigrants now residing in Chattanooga while coming to terms with his own migration experience.
“When I look back at my college career, my college experience really gave me a better understanding of all the work my parents did,” said Mazariegos, who came to the U.S. in 1992 when he was 11 years old. “I’ll never forget learning about Mexican history and how the colonies were being developed and whatnot—and that helped me understand why my parents did what they did. It gave me a sense of inspiration and determination to complete my undergraduate studies.
“It’s my hope that something similar can happen to students here—and that hearing a story such as this will motivate them to further complete their studies and better understand where they’re heading with their career development.”
Mazariegos moved to Chattanooga in 2014 and has been a youth intervention specialist with the City of Chattanooga since 2018. Since founding his video company, Resilient Story, in 2017, he has directed more than 30 projects.
“I’ve often thought my story is more than just an immigrant story and I’ve come to find out it’s a universal story,” he said, explaining that students pursuing careers in education and medicine have benefitted from hearing these stories—saying it prepares them for the fields they’re going into.
“But I’ve also heard from students that experienced family separation within an American-type context, whether it’s a student that her parent was in the Army and they were separated for so many years, or a student that was adopted who is trying to make sense of their life because of the separation.
“I’ve come to believe that this story isn’t just an immigrant story; it’s a ‘we’ story—and all of us are trying to make sense of our lives.”
Another highlight of UTC’s Hispanic Heritage Month calendar is a visit from Dr. Cynthia Orozco on Tuesday, Oct. 10. The free event, open to the public, begins at 5 p.m. in the University Center Auditorium.
Dr. Cynthia Orozco
Orozco is an award-winning author, historian and educator. Known for her work establishing the field of Chicana studies, she has been seen on C-SPAN, heard on National Public Radio and been invited to the Smithsonian Museum.
“Cynthia Orozco is one of the prominent Mexican-American civil rights historians in the country,” said Dr. Edwin Murillo, associate professor of Spanish in the UTC Department of Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures. “She researches names of the Mexican-American Civil Rights Movement that have been forgotten, and the speaker that she’s going to be primarily discussing here on campus is Alonso S. Perales, one of the first lawyers in the state of Texas, a World War I veteran and the co-founder of LULAC in the 1920s.”
LULAC is the League of United Latin American Citizens.
“Bringing Dr. Orozco to UTC speaks to the University’s mission to educate our students and prepare them to be global citizens. Having this multicultural competency will help students reach heights they might not have achieved,” Murillo continued. “I think events like this sort of programming, particularly to commemorate Hispanic Heritage Month, speaks to the mission.”
Orozco’s visit to UTC is sponsored by Latin American Studies, the Department of Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures, the Department of History, the Department of Social, Cultural and Justice Studies, the CAS Diversity Committee, the Division of Diversity and Engagement and the Office of Multicultural Affairs.
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The Office of Multicultural Affairs coordinates the UTC Hispanic Heritage Month celebration in collaboration with other campus and community areas. All events on the calendar will take place in the Lupton Hall first-floor common area unless noted:
- All Month: Hispanic Heritage Month Timeline, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Multicultural Center (Lupton Hall 119)
- Friday, Sept. 15: Hispanic Heritage Month Kickoff-Fiesta Friday, 2 p.m.
- Wednesday, Sept. 20: Hispanic Heritage Networking Event and Musician Showcase, 5:30 p.m.
- Thursday, Sept. 21: Latin Dance Night, 6 p.m.
- Tuesday, Sept. 26: Global Spotlight, 3:30 p.m.
- Tuesday, Oct. 3: “Un Nuevo Pasado/Someday Soon: A Documentary by Pablo Mazariegos,” 6 p.m., Fine Arts Center Roland Hayes Concert Hall
- Tuesday, Oct. 10: Study Abroad Spotlight, 3:30 p.m.
- Tuesday, Oct. 10: Guest Lecturer: Best-Selling Author Cynthia Orozco, 5 p.m., University Center Auditorium
- Thursday, Oct. 12: Game Night-Loteria, 7 p.m.
Details about the events can be found on the Multicultural Center’s Hispanic Heritage Month page.
The UTC Library is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with an array of themed electronic resources that can be perused at one’s own pace. Resources can be found on the Library’s Celebrating Hispanic Heritage page.
Learn More
UTC’s Hispanic Heritage Month Webpage
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage with the UTC Library
