La Casa/Latino Cultural Center will celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month with a variety of events to celebrate the diversity of the Latino community at IU. While the month of observance begins on Sept. 15, events this year will begin on Sept. 13, continuing until Oct. 12.
This year, Festivities, talks, film screenings and exhibits will feature people from IU and beyond, allowing everyone to take a closer look at the influence of Latino culture.
Tuesday, Sept. 13
7:30 p.m.: “‘Unbound Tongues,’ Radical Women of Color Feminism Revisited with Dr. Cherríe Moraga.” A talk by Professor Cherrie Moraga in Franklin Hall, focusing on the influence of feminism in the face of the neocolonization of critical public discourse.
Wednesday, Sept. 14
5:00 p.m.: “An Evening with Professor Cherrie Moraga.” A roundtable discussion and dinner at the Gayle Cook Center in Maxwell Hall with the author, playwright, director and longtime queer Chicana activist, Dr. Cherríe Moraga.
Thursday, Sept. 15
2:00 p.m.: “Far Away, So Close: Indiana and El Salvador, Elections and Immigration Policy.” A special exhibit in the Herman B Wells Library held by the University Archives, this open house will provide visitors the opportunity to examine artifacts and discuss the exhibit with archivists.
7:30 p.m.: “The Bookends of My Life, A Reading with Commentary.” Dr. Cherríe Moraga will read excerpts from her recent publications, “Waiting in the Wings” and “Native Country of the Heart” in Franklin Hall.
Friday, Sept. 16
7:00 p.m.: “Dos Estaciones.” A Sundance special jury award winner, this film tells the story of María García in Mexico's Jalisco highlands. The showing will be held at IU Cinema.
8:15 p.m.: Movies at the Park: “Encanto.” Hosted by Commission on Hispanic and LatinoAffairs, a showing of Disney’s “Encanto” will be held at Bryan Park.
Saturday, Sept. 17
10:00 a.m.: Fiesta del Otoño. This year’s festival will feature live music from Mariachi Perla Del Medio Oriente, cultural displays and more at the Switchyard Park Pavilion.
Sunday, Sept. 18
6:00 p.m.: “Sin Fronteras.” Brazilian Clarice Assad’s orchestral composition will be performed in the Musical Arts Center.
Tuesday, Sept. 20
6:00 p.m.: “Life After IU: National Association of Hispanic Journalists Alumni Panel.” A panel of speakers with jobs at the Washington Post, Politico and National Endowment for Democracy will answer questions related to their journeys from IU in the Franklin Hall Commons.
Wednesday, Sept. 21
1:00 p.m.: Mid-Day Fiesta. The Kelley School of Business will host their annual celebration of Latine Heritage with food, games, and dancing on the Gilette Terrace, outside the business school.
Thursday, Sept. 22
7:30 p.m.: “The Far Away Brothers Book Signing Mixer and Author Keynote.” Laruen Markham, author of “The Far Away Brothers,” will discuss topics related to her book and have some free copies available to attendees in Hodge Hall 2083.
7:30 p.m.: “Decolonizing your mind with Walter Mercado.” Written by Jayne Deely, this theatrical production explores the difficulties of dating through a story about queerness, Puerto Rico, friendship and accepting help from the ancestors. Additional showings will be held at 11:00 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 23, and at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 24. Showings will be held at the Lee Norvelle Theatre & Drama Center and tickets are available for free through their website.
Saturday, Sept. 24
11:00 a.m.: Sabores de Mexico: Food Club. Learn the simple steps to creating delicious, Mexican food from scratch using fresh ingredients at La Casa.
Sunday, Sept. 25
4:00 p.m.: Memorial Concert for Carmen Téllez. Join in person at Auer Hall or from almost anywhere in the world to enjoy this tribute to the late Dr. Carmen-Helena Téllez.
Monday, Sept. 25
12:00 p.m.: Screening of PBS’s ‘Latino Americans.’ Screened daily at 12:00 p.m. from Sept. 25 until Sept. 30 in the Franklin Hall Commons, “Latino Americans” tells of the rich stories of Latinos who shared North America.
Saturday, Oct. 1
3:00 p.m.: “Unity in the Community: A Celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month.” A reading of the book “Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré” at the Monroe County Public Library.
Monday, Oct. 3
7:00 p.m.: “‘Brown Enough’ with actor, author, podcaster and storyteller, Christopher Rivas.” Rivas will share about finding one’s true self amidst the difficulties of attempting to be “perfectly” Latinx, woke and as Brown as possible, held in the Godfrey Center of the business school.
Tuesday, Oct. 4
7:00 p.m.: “Evening with AJ Mendez.” A live Q&A session in the IMU Frangipani Room with the former professional wrestler, New York Times bestselling author and co-writer of the upcoming Netflix film “Blade of the 47 Ronin.”
Thursday, Oct. 6
5:00 p.m.: First Thursdays. This monthly festival at the IU Arts Plaza showcases the diversity of arts at IU Bloomington, showcasing artists from IU and around Bloomington.
8:00 p.m.: Salón Latino Chamber Music Series: String music of Rocío Sanz Quirós. Presented by the Latin American Music Center in conjunction with the Costa Rican National Music Archive, this event in Auer Hall will feature music by the Costa Rican composer.
Monday, Oct. 10
4:00 p.m.: “Comida Como Resistencia/Food as Resistance Documentary Screening and Workshop.” Featuring the short film “Comida Como Resistencia” about archaeology and agroecology, this event will also have live mariachi music by Mariachi Perla del Medio Oeste, food and planting activities in the Commons at the Center of Documentary Research and Practice.
Tuesday, Oct. 11
2:00 p.m.: Pop-up exhibit for National Hispanic Heritage Month. This exhibit in Wells Library will show selections from the Charles W. Cushman photograph collection, documents highlighting Latine student experiences at IU and a live screening of clips from Mexico and South America of the Herman B Wells home.
Wednesday, Oct. 12
7:00 p.m.: Latine & Latin American Artist Showcase. An event to celebrate Laitne Heritage in the IU community in the School of Fine Arts Gallery. The Latine & Latin American Artist Showcase Committee is seeking artists, musicians, poets, and dancers to participate in this year’s showcase. Individuals interested in participating can fill out the Google form on their website.
More information and ways to RSVP or find Zoom links for these events is available on the National Latine Heritage Month calendar.
