Amid pandemic, TAMU-T celebrates Hispanic Heritage month in creative ways
TEXARKANA, Texas — Texas A&M University-Texarkana has had to get creative with how they observe National Hispanic Heritage month because of obstacles the COVID-19 pandemic has presented.
In a normal school year, TAMU-T would host celebratory events on campus that would include Latin American folk dancers and Hispanic foods. This year, the events look more like online trivia with prizes, Tik Tok dance challenges and zoom sessions discussing Hispanic culture.
TAMU-T’s newly-formed Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee, along with the International Studies Office, is expanding efforts to recognize international topics, such as Hispanic heritage and culture, during the pandemic.
“We have created a social media campaign to highlight our Hispanic faculty and staff on campus,” said Director of International Studies Jennifer Davis. “As our Hispanic student population at TAMU-T steadily increases each year, it is important that our community is aware of the Hispanic representation in our faculty and staff and their own educational journeys.”
One of A&M-Texarkana’s newest student organizations, CROWN (Creating & Reclaiming Opportunities for Women Nationally) is posting dance challenges via Tik Tok with songs that are popular in Latin American culture.
“This TikTok dance challenge runs in conjunction with the Spotify playlist CROWN created and released via social media to highlight the diversity and energy of Latin American music,” Davis said.
Among the many other events put on, the DE&I committee premiered the first installation of the new series “Candid Conversations,” focusing on topics currently facing the Hispanic population, on Sept. 29.
This was hosted by TAMU-T alumna and current KTAL Reporter Fernanda Hernandez. It also featured alumni Liliana Luna, a Texarkana Independent School District assistant principal, and Kim Ganado, a TAMU-T Houston recruitment coordinator. Students featured included Flavio Tirado, Ivan Santiago Perez and Catherine Coreas.
Davis said the University’s efforts reflect their proven commitment to endorsing and sustaining diversity at the school.
“The motivation for the formation of the committee is rooted in our University’s commitment to create a sustainable culture that fearlessly recognizes and boldly endorses the uniqueness of every student, staff, and faculty member,” she said. “This fall semester, we are focused on celebrating heritage and history months such as Hispanic Heritage Month and LGBTQ+ History Month and exploring topics that are directly related to social justice. National Hispanic Heritage month is the committee’s first university-wide endeavor and we have been thrilled to see our ideas and plans come into fruition.”
Davis, a first generation Hispanic college student, said education is the best way to overcome societal barriers put up against marginalized groups in America.
“At a young age, it is important for elementary and middle schools to have information on educational resources geared toward parents that may have limited or no English language proficiency,” she said. “If the parent is not aware of resources the school may offer then the young student may never be able to access those resources. At the high school level, we have to make sure that students are confident that college is a viable option. First generation students may need extra help in navigating the college application and admission process. In college, all students should feel valued and that they belong.”
The university’s efforts are being borne out by the numbers. The fall 2020 freshman class is 28.1% Hispanic, according to Davis.
(Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 each year.)