Hispanic Heritage Month Celebrated at San Diego Community College District
The San Diego Community College District (SDCCD), including San Diego City College, San Diego Mesa College, San Diego Miramar College, and San Diego Continuing Education, will be celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, which begins Sept. 15, with an array of activities that are free and open to the public. Among them:
Through Oct. 15 – Celebración de la Lengua Española
San Diego Miramar College, Library Learning Resource Center, 10440 Black Mountain Road, San Diego, 92126.
A month-long display in the patio of the Library Learning Resource Center at San Diego Miramar College, Celebración de la Lengua Española (Celebration of the Spanish Language) delves into the history, vocabulary, and grammar of Spanish, and includes maps, flags, art, and more to help stimulate interest in the language.
Monday, Sept. 29, 12:50 to 2:10 p.m. – “Storytelling and Immigration”
San Diego City College, V-101, 1313 Park Blvd., San Diego, 92101
Former Los Angeles Times reporter and author Sam Quin-ones, who wrote “True tales from Another Mexico,” will be the featured speaker. Quinones covered Mexico for years, and was the first foreign reporter to walk through the halls of PRI headquarters after the party lost the presidency to Vicente Fox in 2000.
Thursday, Oct. 9, 12:50-2:15 p.m. – “Documented”
San Diego City College, Saville Theatre, 1313 Park Blvd., San Diego, 92101
In 2011, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas outed himself as an undocumented immigrant in an essay published in the New York Times Magazine. Documented chronicles his journey to America from the Philippines as a child; his journey through America as an immigration reform activist; and his journey inward as he re-connects with his mother, whom he hasn’t seen in person in over 20 years.
Thursday, Oct. 23, 11:15 to 12:30 p.m. – Matt de la Peña, Author, “We Were Here”
San Diego City College, V-101, 1313 Park Blvd., San Diego, 92101
De la Peña will be reading selections from his works, which include four critically acclaimed, young adult novels. He earned a MFA in creative writing from San Diego State University and his B.A. from the University of the Pacific where he attended school on a full basketball scholarship. De la Peña currently lives in Brooklyn, teaches creative writing, and visits high schools and colleges throughout the country.
San Diego City College, V-101, 1313 Park Blvd., San Diego, 92101
Hispanic Heritage Month begins each year on Sept. 15, which is the anniversary of independence for five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Mexico’s Independence Day is on Sept. 16, Chile’s falls on Sept. 18, and Belize celebrates its independence on Sept. 21. Hispanic Heritage Month is aimed at recognizing the contributions Hispanic and Latino Americans have made to the United States and celebrating their heritage and culture.
“Colores de la Muerte” Art Exhibition
Joining the citywide celebration of Día de los Muertos (“Day of the Dead”), California Center for the Arts, Escondido (the Center) honors a tradition deeply rooted in pre-Columbian Mexico with the special art exhibition, Colores de la Muerte, from October 2 – November 9, 2014.
Curator Lisette Atala-Doocy explores the rich history of Mexico by featuring 15 large sculptures from Tren de la Historia (El Museo de Arte Popular, Mexico City) and 30 sculptures and artifacts from the Mingei International Museum. Two designers from the Department of Architecture at the University of Tijuana CUT will also contribute a monumental altar commemorating the 100th anniversary of the passing of Mexican Nobel Prize winner, Octavio Paz. Throughout the duration of the exhibition, two singular events take place at the Center: the annual Día de Los Muertos community festival (Saturday, Nov. 1, 2014; 6 pm – 9 pm) and a performance by 2014 Grammy Award-winning Los Angeles-based ensemble La Santa Cecilia (Friday, Oct. 10, 2014; Center Theater, 7:30 pm). For additional information, please visit artcenter.org.
