Through the collaborative efforts of the Office of Student Engagement and Multicultural Affairs, campus partners in various departments and offices, and our amazing student organizations, we are able to provide various opportunities to learn, share, celebrate, challenge, empower, and appreciate Latinx Heritage Month, Native History/ 1st Peoples Month, Black History Month, and Focus Asia Month.
Latinx Heritage Month
September 15- October 15, 2017
“Cuidense”: Take Care of Yourselves
Kick off the year and celebrate with us! Through our programs and events, we hope to expand the cultural competence of the Ithaca College Community through awareness and appreciation of Latin American culture and its influence and contributions to American culture. Our events are open to the entire Ithaca College family as we aim to honor, show pride and respect for Latinx Heritage. The following events are sponsored by PODER, a student organization dedicated to uniting students of Hispanic/Latino descent at Ithaca College, fostering and promoting diversity and awareness of Hispanic/Latino culture on campus, creating an environment in which students will be afforded the opportunity to learn about themselves as individuals, while also learning about their cultural history, developing Latino/Hispanic student leaders, and motivating Latino/Hispanic students to excel academically, socially adapt to the Ithaca College community, and ultimately find a place to call casa (home).
World-renowned poet and social justice activist, Elizabeth Acevedo, takes the stage of IC Square for a night of spoken word that highlights the Latinx connection to the African Diaspora. With over twelve years of performance experience, Acevedo has been a featured performer on BET and Mun2, as well as delivered several TED Talks. She has graced stages nationally and internationally including renowned venues such as The Lincoln Center, Madison Square Garden, the Kennedy Center of the Performing Arts, and South Africa’s State Theatre.
The original founders of the student organization, PODER, return to engage with current students in a dialogue about the importance of self-care at Ithaca College. These IC alumni will share their personal experiences from their time on campus and what motivated them to start their own organization. Attendees will also have the opportunity to ask questions and discuss the importance of remembering the foundations of PODER. Refreshments will be served.
Inspired by the lack of representation in mainstream media, as well as Spanish-language media, Janel Martinez created a space where millennial Latinas could celebrate their diversity. In a time where self-care for women of color is deemed “a radical act”, Martinez will lead a workshop on self-care that centers on Afro-Latina wellness. The Bronx, NY native has contributed to a bevy of different outlets, including Latina Magazine, Latina.com, Honeymag.com, Syracuse Record and The Post-Standard. Martinez has a passion for social media and has been named one of 11 Latinas to Follow on Twitter by Cosmo for Latinas.
Dior Vargas is a Latina Feminist Mental Health Activist. She is the creator of the People of Color and Mental Illness Photo Project, a response to the invisibility of people of color in the media representation of mental illness. Vargas will visit Ithaca College to facilitate a dialogue that focuses on intersectionality as it relates to people of color in our communities. Vargas is a CrisisTextLine crisis counselor, a facilitator for the Young Adult Support Group at NAMI-NYC Metro, a member of the 2014 class of the Women's Media Center's media training program, Progressive Women's Voices, a steering committee member of the New York Chapter of National Women's Liberation, and organized the first Feminist General Assembly in New York City with Women Occupying Wall Street. In 2012
A continued tradition since the founding of Poder, the Latinx Banquet is the largest even during the scheduled month of events. The Banquet echo’s the month’s theme of “Cuidense”: Take Care of Yourselves. After a powerful and impactful visit in the fall of 2015, Carlos Andres Gomez will return to Ithaca as a featured banquet guest performer.
To conclude Latinx Heritage Month, artist Alex Villafana joins us on campus to address the theme of self-care through music. Villafana, a Bronx native, uses his music to talk about his experiences as a man of color and the lack of representation in present media.
“Everyone has a story: Some people don't really know how to tell it. I'm here to represent those and tell my own story as well.” -@VillianHustle
For any questions please contact PODER Co-Presidents Christina Franqui (cfranqui@ithaca.edu) and Benjamin Gray (bgray@ithaca.edu ).
Sponsored by the Center for LGBT Education, Outreach, and Services
Much like the seldom-heard song of the hummingbird, the voices of Latino fathers are rarely heard in addressing LGBTQ issues. A story of Latino fathers dealing with issues of immigration, faith, marriage equality, machismo, culture, and the process of their LGBTQ children coming out.
For any questions please contact Luca Maurer (lmaurer@ithaca.edu)
Sponsored by Latin American Studies @IC
For any questions please contact the Latin American Studies department, Dr. Jonathan Ablard (jablard@ithaca.edu) or Dr. Jennifer Jolly (jjolly@ithaca.edu).
For more information about Heritage Month sponsored by OSEMA, please visit https://www.ithaca.edu/sacl/osema/multicultural/months/
For more information about OSEMA and upcoming events, please visit https://www.ithaca.edu/sacl/osema/
Individuals with disabilities requiring accommodations should contact OSEMA at osema@ithaca.edu or (607) 274-3222. We ask that requests for accommodations be made as soon as possible.
https://www.ithaca.edu/intercom/article.php/20160823182508519