UGA Celebrates Latinx Heritage Month 2024

The University of Georgia will celebrate Latinx Heritage Month 2024 with a wide variety of programs and activities across campus. The month-long, nationally recognized celebration is observed from Sept. 15-Oct. 15 and celebrates the histories, cultures, and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.  

During this heritage month, there is no shortage of great events. The beginning of the month will include a large kickoff event on Sept. 19 in Tate Plaza celebrated by several student organizations and campus departments, led by the Office of Multicultural Services and Programs. The rest of the month entails other exciting events ranging from pool parties to service opportunities to Futbol Fiestas and other social events (see list below or reference the Involvement Network).   

Alan Sosa-Alfaro, a third-year Political Science and International Affairs major and President of UGA’s Hispanic Student Association (HSA), reflects on the excitement of the upcoming month.  

“Hispanic Heritage Month represents a one-of-a-kind celebration of Hispanic heritage and culture that brings joy to my heart,” Sosa-Alfaro said. “For me, celebrating Latino culture, especially in places where it is not as predominant, brings me closer to home and allows me to feel a sense of pride.”  

Originally from Lilburn, Georgia, Sosa-Alfaro is proud of his Guatemalan and Mexican heritage. One of the most meaningful impacts HSA has had on his time at UGA has been creating a home away from home.  

At the heart of HSA is a group of students striving to welcome one another, no matter who they are or where they come from. For Sosa-Alfaro, HSA meant finding his people and fostering a community here in Athens. 

HSA loves meeting new members and welcoming new students into their home away from home. A self-proclaimed introvert, Sosa-Alfaro understands the nerves students might feel about attending an event for the first time. As an organization, they encourage everyone to come out. 

“If you cannot attend every event that’s completely fine,” said Sosa-Alfaro. “When you come, we just want you to feel a sense of community within our organization.”  

This year’s slate of events includes collaborations between student organizations and campus departments serving Hispanic and non-Hispanic students, including partnerships between HSA, the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, Native American Students Association, Latino/as Invested in the Student of Tomorrow (LISTo), and the Pamoja Dance Company.

Events associated with Latinx Heritage Month are as follows: 

• Sept. 13-20- Dancing with Devils: Latin American Masks Traditions (Opening and Temporary Exhibition) (LACSI /KAWSAY UKHUNCHAY Andean and Amazonian Indigenous Art and Cultural Artifacts Research Collection (Ohio State University))
  • Location: 290 S. Hull St.
  • Time: 3 pm
• Sept. 13- Latin American and Caribbean Studies Institute Open House (LACSI) 
  • Location: 290 S. Hull St 
  • Time: 3-5pm 
• Sept. 14- LatinX Fest (Dignidad Inmigrante Athens, LACSI & others) 
  • Location: Washington Street between Hull and Pulaski 
  • Time: 11am-8pm
• Sept. 15- Hispanic Heritage Kickoff Pool Party (HSA) 
  • Location: Park Hillside 
  • Time: 3-5pm 
• Sept. 19- Hispanic Heritage Celebration Kick-Off (MSP) 
  • Location: Tate Plaza  
  • Time: 12-2pm 
• Sept. 19- Futbol Fiesta (HSA) 
  • Location: Turner Soccer Complex 
  • Time: 6pm 
• Sept. 17- Kathleen Osberger. I Surrender: A Memoir of Chile’s Dictatorship, 1975 (Book Presentation & Colloquium) (LACSI & Institute for Women’s Studies) 
  • Location: Baldwin Hall 480 (Pinnacle Room) 
  • Time: 3pm-4:30pm
• Sept. 26- Dance Day w/ Pamoja (HSA) 
  • Location: To be announced- refer to Involvement Network 
  • Time: 8pm 
• Sept. 27- Dr. Katie Sobering. The Queer Birth Project (Research Colloquium) (Willson Center for Humanities & Arts, LACSI, Institute for Women’s Studies) 
  • Location: Milledge Learning Center 248 
  • Time: 12:40pm-1:30pm 
• Sept. 27- Dr. Katie Sobering. The People’s Hotel. Working for Justice in Argentina (Research Colloqium) (Willson Center for Humanities & Arts, LACSI, Department of Sociology) 
  • Location: Milledge Learning Center 350 
  • Time: 3pm-4pm 
• Sept. 27- Hispanic Heritage Celebration Movie Night: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (Pride Center, LACSI, HSA, LISTo) 
  • Location: Tate Theater 
  • Time: 7pm 
• Sept. 28- HSA Garden Cleanup 
  • Location: Latin America Ethnobotanical Garden 
  • Time: 10am-12pm 
• Oct. 1- HSA GBM 
  • Location: Tate Theater 
  • Time: 8pm 
• Oct. 2- HSA collab with FirstGen Dawgs 
  • Location: To be announced- refer to Involvement Network 
  • Time: 7pm-8pm 
• Oct. 10- HSA collab with LISTo 
  • Location: Myers Quad 
  • Time: 7pm-8pm 
• Oct. 14- Indigenous People Day (collab with NASA) (HSA) 
  • Location: Tate Intersection 
  • Time: 7pm-8pm

For more information on Latinx Heritage Month events or to find other events on campus, please visit the Involvement Network. For all other questions, please contact Multicultural Service and Programs at msp1@uga.edu.