Fiesta Latina to celebrate Latinx Heritage Month with Latin dishes and dance
Courtesy of the Raíces Dance Troupe
Raíces Dance Troupe will perform its first dance of the year at the event.
UPDATED: Sept. 23, 2021 at 10:43 a.m.
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Sophomore Honna Santos said she found it difficult to meet new people, experience the young adult lifestyle and, especially, to feel at home as a minority entering a predominantly white university when she arrived at Syracuse University. Santos and Mia Gutarra, self-proclaimed “COVID sophomores” and co-chairs of Raíces Dance Troupe, said they did not get the college experience they were promised.
But Gutarra and Santos discovered the Raíces Dance Troupe during their freshman year and auditioned virtually. They remembered being welcomed by the community at La Casita Cultural Center and finally feeling a sense of security at SU.
“It’s comforting to know that everything is back to normal,” Gutarra said. “You can find your community again.”
Sept. 15 through Oct. 15 is National Hispanic Heritage Month in the U.S., and SU has planned Latinx Hispanic Heritage Month to celebrate. This Friday from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. in the Schine Student Center, the Office of Multicultural Affairs is hosting Fiesta Latina, an annual celebration for Latinx Hispanic Heritage Month.
This year’s Fiesta Latina promises live entertainment, Latino cuisine and a performance by the Raíces Dance Troupe. Tickets for SU and SUNY-ESF Students are free and can be reserved at the student box office website. For the general public, tickets are $5.
“Fiesta Latina is a good way to bring the Latinx community together around some great food, dancing and it’s also a good way of inviting folks who might not be of Latinx heritage to come out and celebrate with us,” said Breana Nieves Vergara, co-chair of SU’s Latinx Hispanic Heritage Month committee.
The Raíces Dance Troupe said it has been working tirelessly to deliver culturally relevant and beautiful displays since reconvening on campus. Santos and Gutarra said they have been rehearsing long hours, adapting to the new 2021-22 team and practicing dances tailored to their cultural roots. Santos said that dancing has been a part of her family tradition for a long time.
“Dance is something that always makes me feel at home,” Santos said.
In any culture, dance has the exceptional ability to convey language nonverbally, and it’s important to maintain that tradition during contemporary times, Santos said. The Raíces Dance Troupe offers a multicultural dance opportunity for students at SU, so the group is looking forward to its first performance back on campus at the Fiesta Latina event. Vergara said she is excited “for folks to come out and dance” at this event.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m., but the program begins at 7 p.m. with live entertainment by DJ Pabony, a Rochester-based DJ. Vergaras said Hispanic delicacies such as freshly made stewed chicken, rice and beans and other Latino cuisine and beverages will be available throughout the celebration. OMA will be offering a variety of traditional Hispanic cuisine.
In addition to Fiesta Latina, SU students can celebrate the heritage month on campus at other events, such as the Torneo de Futbol at the Barnes Center at The Arch on Oct. 2 or the many keynote speakers.
“When I came to Syracuse I wanted to make sure I felt at home, and as minorities we know that we have each other’s back,” Santos said.
CORRECTION: In a previous version of this post, Breana Nieves Vergara’s name was misspelled. The Daily Orange regrets this error.
Published on September 21, 2021 at 11:42 pm
