Celebrating Latine Culture and Hispanic Heritage at Georgetown
Georgetown community members connect with Latine culture and Hispanic heritage through teaching, research and scholarship and by building community around shared identity and experiences. We honor the vibrant histories, languages, traditions and values that transcend borders and unite Latine people across the Americas and Caribbean islands.
National Hispanic Heritage Month
The movement to celebrate the contributions of the Latin American community in the United States was introduced in 1968 and has since transformed into a nationally recognized, month-long commemoration of Latine culture from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15.
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage
Hispanic, Latino, Latinx or Latine?
Are gender-neutral terms like Latinx and Latine tailored to English speakers? What’s the right word to use? How do you know who’s a part of the community? Professors Amanda Phillips and Ricardo Ortiz weigh in on the history, complexity and cultural significance of the identity terms they use to describe themselves and their communities.
A Testimonial
“Being a Latina, it is very important to me to be a researcher out in the community. Connecting with the community allows me to get in touch with my own self … In partnering with the community, you don’t come in as the expert telling them what they need. You come in as someone with a certain skill set to lend to meet the needs that they have identified.”
Community Voices
“What Latine Culture & Hispanic Heritage Month means to me is a celebration and acknowledgment of my generational roots and the sacrifices my mother and father made for me: uprooting their lives and leaving their families for the promise of better opportunities for their children. They taught me to have a strong work ethic, appreciate and love your family, and that being Latina is an honor and privilege to change and break generational curses.”
“I’m especially grateful for the opportunity to connect with my Latin American identity through the organization of Spanish Mass services. Since sophomore year, I’ve been helping organize our monthly Masses, inviting friends to join our lectors, choir or eucharistic minister positions. ”
“To me, Hispanic Heritage Month means celebrating the many contributions Hispanics have made to the United States to improve and better our community. All of our diverse cultures have played a very important role in making America what it is today, and Hispanic Heritage Month is an opportunity to highlight the stories of the hardworking and passionate people in our community and culture.”
Increasing Latine Representation in Medicine
Students in the School of Medicine formed the Medical Spanish Initiative to train future doctors to use Spanish while working with patients to meet the growing demand for Spanish-speaking physicians in the United States.
Our Hilltop Community
Claudia Arias-Cirinna joins Georgetown as associate vice president and dean of students, bringing with her more than 25 years of leadership in student affairs at universities across the U.S.
Abel Cruz Flores (G’21) was among the first recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program 10 years ago. Last week he finished his journey to a Ph.D.
Engaging Latin America
The Georgetown Americas Institute is a platform for dialogue, research and impact around the key challenges facing Latin America and the hemisphere. Subscribe to “Y esto no es todo” for a daily Spanish-language podcast on current events around the world.
Researching Latin America
From the Archives
In 1978, a Puerto Rican woman named Aida Berio (SFS’52) made headlines for filing a lawsuit for racial discrimination in Washington, DC. After the court’s final decision favored Berio, DC Mayor Marion Barry nominated her as director of the district’s Office of Latino Affairs.
A Testimonial
“Hispanic Heritage Month is a moment of introspection for me. As a DACA-mented individual, I constantly find myself trying to prove my worth to this country and tend to forget that my heritage is what makes me unique—and not a sealed piece of paper. And so, during this month, I celebrate all the contributions that the immigrant community brings to the country we call home.”