Santa Cruz County Latino Affairs Commission
Local News, Activities and
Events of Interest to the Latino Community

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LATINO / HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH IS
SEPTEMBER 15 UNTIL OCTOBER 15, 2019!

Each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15, by celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.

The observation started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period starting on September 15 and ending on October 15. It was enacted into law on August 17, 1988, on the approval of Public Law 100-402.

The day of September 15 is significant because it is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September18, respectively. Also, Columbus Day or Día de la Raza, which is October 12, falls within this 30 day period.

EVENTS

CITY OF WATSONVILLE'S MUSIC FROM THE HEART CONCERT - THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2019

The first half of the program will feature students from the Pajaro Valley Unified School District, while the second half will feature six string musicians from the Santa Cruz Symphony (including concertmaster Nigel Armstrong on violin and Daniel Stewart on viola) who will be joined by dancers from Esperanza Del Valle for Moncoya’s Huapango. Find out more about it here.

UCSC Roundtable: Chicano and Chicana Art on October 8, 2019 from 4-6 PM. 

Join them for a roundtable discussion about the recently published Chicano and Chicana Art: A Critical Anthology. Scholars and artists Laura Perez, Amalia Mesa-Bains, Catherine Ramirez and Felicia Rice will join editor Jennifer A. Gonzalez in a lively conversation about their contributions to the book and the current state of Chicana/o art and politics. They will be happy to answer questions from students about research, writing, publishing, and the visual arts. Find out more about it here

Current Pajaro Valley Arts events and exhibits can be found here.

                                               2018 Hispanic Heritage Art Wall