Deep Roots: How Whitties Are Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month

Every year, Hispanic Heritage Month gives the Whitman community a chance to honor students with family roots in Latin America, the Caribbean and Spain. This year, that includes about 200 current students who identify as being of Hispanic descent. These students celebrate their cultural identities on campus and in the Walla Walla community by leading various events from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15.

Hispanic Heritage Month’s unique timing coincides with the independence anniversaries of several Latin American countries. Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua celebrate independence on Sept. 15. Other Hispanic countries celebrate independence in the days and weeks following, like Mexico on Sept.16 and Chile on Sept.18. Rather than focusing on a single country, this month honors the culture and contributions of Hispanic communities in the U.S.

Uplifting Hispanic Culture On & Off Campus

At Whitman, the affinity groups Unidos and Women of Color Voices kicked off the festivities by co-hosting the Sazón y Tradición picnic on the Reid Campus Center lawn, creating a welcoming space for students to connect over food and culture.

“The Unidos club, which means ‘united,’ has created a safe space for its members and worked as an extended family,” says Mariana Ruiz-González, Assistant Professor of Hispanic Studies and faculty advisor for Unidos. “The Latinx community has a strong sense of family, so having this support system in college strengthens students’ roots, connects them to their heritage and language, and enriches their understanding of other Latinx experiences. I’m very proud of how LOUD their voice is.”

The student-run Whitman Events Board also worked with the Hispanic Studies Department to co-sponsor a bilingual Open Mic Night at the Reid Campus Center. And plans for more events with support from the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life and the Intercultural Center are underway.

And students are getting involved in the surrounding community as well. Whitties will continue their tradition of involvement with the annual Walla Walla Festival de Cultura Viva, which will take place Oct. 6. In the past, students have created colorful puppets and butterflies to be used in the festival parade and have joined in, proudly waving the flags of their heritage in the parade. This year, they’re expanding on a mural downtown.

When the festival first began in 2022, these students were invited to paint monarch butterflies as part of the first mural in downtown Walla Walla dedicated to Latinx culture. The monarch butterfly symbolizes transformation and renewal—a common theme in the lives of the Latinx population in the U.S. Many believe that the souls of their ancestors visit them in the form of a butterfly.

In 2023, Whitman students were invited to paint their own mural downtown. With guidance from Ruiz-González, the affinity group spent three days creating an alebrije—a spirit animal that guides loved ones on their journey to the afterlife—on the corner of Palouse and Main Street. This year, students will be adding new elements to the mural in the days leading up to the festival, with an unveiling before the start of the parade.

Get Involved & Learn More

As Hispanic Heritage Month continues, Assistant Professor of Hispanic Studies and Chair of the department Aarón Aguilar-Ramírez says it is important to understand the differences between each nationality and recognize their unique location in U.S. society.

“Much of the iconography we see this month is often associated with Mexico,” he says. “I encourage the Whitman community to attend the Festival de Cultura Viva, which celebrates so many different cultural aspects of the expansive Latinx community.”

The Festival de Cultura Viva begins at 10:15 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 6, with the unveiling of the updated mural, followed by a parade down Main Street, ending at the Gesa Power House Theatre, where everyone can enjoy live music, food, art and community.

There are year-round opportunities to get involved and learn more about Hispanic culture as well, including:

• El Molcajete: The Spanish Hour. During the Fall Semester, the radio show airs weekly on KCWC Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Los Ojos De Whitman. A new issue of this bilingual magazine will be published later this semester. All are welcome to send submissions through Oct. 14, 2024.
• The Listeners Project: Queremos Escucharte. Recordings from this oral history project can be found in the Whitman College and Northwest Archives inside Penrose Library.

Visitors can find more great Hispanic Heritage Month resources on display at the Penrose Library all month long.