NAU’s Office of Inclusion: Multicultural and LGBTQIA Student Services kicked off Hispanic Heritage Month on Sept. 20 with the school’s second annual Hispanic/Latine Celebración. Event coordinators organized the gathering to foster inclusivity while highlighting NAU’s status as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI).
Hosted in the John Haeger Health and Learning Center, the Hispanic/Latine Celebración featured traditional performances by mariachis and folklórico dancers. Local vendors also served traditional Hispanic food such as pollo asado and agua fresca.
Booths run by NAU departments and local businesses, including NAU’s Latino Christian Fellowship, Flagstaff Nuestras Raices and Mateo’s Boutique Shop, offered attendees student resources and traditional accessories while promoting Arizonan Hispanic history.
Nancy Navarro is the program manager for NAU’s Center of Inclusive Excellence and Access. Navarro was one of the event organizers and said she wanted the celebration to be a community-building event.
“We envision it like a block party with NAU and the Flag community to celebrate Hispanic heritage, to really show students their culture represented on campus but also to continue to celebrate having that Hispanic-Serving Institution status,” Navarro said.
Students and attendees line up to get food at the Hispanic/Latine Celebracion de NAU hosted by the Office of Inclusion at the Multipurpose Activity Center Gym in the Health and Learning Center, Sept. 20.
NAU gained the HSI designation in 2021 when the Hispanic and Latine student enrollment exceeded 25%. This status allows the university to compete for federal funding to invest in programs promoting student success, inclusion and cultural representation.
In fall 2023, over 5,700 Hispanic- and Latine-identifying students enrolled at NAU.
While NAU has not confirmed its student demographic data for fall 2024, Navarro said she estimates similar enrollment numbers for this semester.
“We have nearly 5,000 students who identify as Hispanic or Latine, but you’re not going to see them all in the same classroom,” Navarro said. “This is a good event to see a bunch of those students in one spot.”
Young dancers from Ballet Folklorico de Colores perform at the Hispanic/Latine Celebracion de NAU hosted by the Office of Inclusion in the Multipurpose Activity Center Gym in the Health and Learning Center, Sept. 20.
To create an authentic cultural experience for attendees, Navarro and Vidal Mendoza, the lead coordinator and assistant director of TRiO Student Support Services, asked students for feedback regarding how the school should incorporate traditions into its events. Navarro also said she hung the flags of 22 Hispanic and Latine countries at the celebration to be inclusive of those attending.
Mendoza said working with students is an important part of the event planning process.
“This is for the students,” Mendoza said. “I want to amplify their voices and bring what they hope to see to create that sense of belonging here on campus.”
These events are part of an effort to create a welcoming environment for Hispanic and Latine students, particularly those who may feel homesick or culturally displaced while attending school in a predominantly non-Hispanic area, Navarro said.
Hispanic-identifying individuals make up about 20% of Flagstaff’s population, whilewhite individuals make up 57%.
A poster displays different Hispanic countries at the Hispanic/Latine Celebracion de NAU hosted by the Office of Inclusion at the Multipurpose Activity Center Gym in the Health and Learning Center, Sept. 20.
Mendoza said event organizers tried to combat the cultural disconnect students can experience when leaving their homes.
“It’s so early in the semester that students may be feeling homesick, and they’d be missing their culture,” Mendoza said. “So, we’re hoping to be able to bring this to them here.”
For students coming from predominantly Hispanic and Latine communities, this event created a space for them to interact with individuals with similar backgrounds. Lesly Hernandez, a freshman who identifies as Mexican American, said she appreciated the opportunity to connect with her heritage.
“I grew up being in the Mexican culture with a bunch of family, and it’s so different here compared to how it is at home,” Hernandez said. “I feel like the event is kind of homey.”
While she believes NAU is making an effort through cultural events, Hernandez said it will take more than one annual celebration to make the school truly inclusive for Hispanic and Latine students.
According to the National Library of Medicine, creating a more inclusive campus requires both institutional efforts and active peer-to-peer participation.
Dancers weave fabric together during their performance at the Hispanic/Latine Celebracion de NAU hosted by the Office of Inclusion at the Multipurpose Activity Center Gym in the Health and Learning Center, Sept. 20.
“My friend deals with racism here, and I know it’s not NAU’s fault,” Hernandez said. “They’re trying, but the people here need to try as well.”
To learn more about how to get involved with Hispanic and Latine clubs, organizations and scholarships, visit the Hispanic, Latine Student Services website. For more information on events hosted by the IMQ, visit the IMQ Upcoming Events webpage.