National Hispanic Heritage Month started in 1968 by President Lyndon Johnson. Originally, it was only a week long celebration but during his presidency, President Ronald Reagan expanded it to a 30 day celebration. 

Hispanic Heritage Month starts on September 15th because that is the anniversary of independence for Latin American Countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16th and 18th which falls within the celebratory period. As well as Día de la Raza on October 12th. 

Latino Leaders in Policy

“An organization designated for any Latinx identifying MSU students who are seeking potential careers in policy, to provide support in the for of career exposure, networking opportunities, and mentorship, scholarship, and internship experience.”

Instagram: llip.msu

Email: latinosinpolicy(at)gmail.com

United for Latino Success

“The purpose of this organization shall be to create a supportive and empowering community for first generation and migrant Latino students. We will strive to provide opportunities for academic and personal growth, as well as a space for students to connect and build meaningful relationships with their peers. Through mentorship, networking, and community building, we aim to empower our members to succeed both academically and personally, while celebrating their unique identities and experiences. Our mission is to provide a safe and inclusive environment where all members feel valued and supported in their pursuit of success.”

Email: RSO.uls(at)msu.edu

Comunidad Latinoamericana MSU

“We are a student organization in MSU looking forward to bring together students from all over Latin America to share our culture and mostly create a welcoming community outside our home countries.”

Email: comunidadmsu(at)gmail.com

Association of Latino Professionals for America

“The Association of Latino Professionals For America (otherwise known as ALPFA) is a national Latino professional association in the United States that focuses in empowering and developing Latinos as leaders of character for the nation, in every sector of the global economy. ALPFA provides Hispanic students with the resources to excel after college while also providing a community at Michigan State University. At this moment in time, there are over 95,000 professional and student members across the country.

All members have access to close to 50,000 paid summer internship opportunities through hundreds of Fortune 1000 corporate partners. The current aspiration of ALPFA national is to be the business partner of choice for companies seeking to hire and develop the amazing Latino talent that is available. To officially become a member of this powerful community and reap all of these benefits, join our organization here and email us to gain access to the nationwide ALPFA community.”

Email: msu.alpfa(at)gmail.com

Honor Students of Color Coalition

“The Honors Students of Color Coalition (HSOCC) supports students of color in their transition to the Honors College/Academic Scholars Program & Michigan State University and fosters their continued success in college. HSOCC is committed to building a sense of community among students of color on campus; membership is also open to students not in the Honors College/Academic Scholars Program.

Student of color is meant to be a unifying term and is inclusive of American Indian, African, Black, Central Asian, Chicana/o/x, Hispanic, Indigenous, Latina/o/x, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, South and Southeast Asian, West Asian, and biracial/multiracial identities. This community is open to all undergraduate students looking to support the experiences of students of color at MSU.”

Email: Komislin(at)msu.edu 

Native American and Hispanic Business Students

“Native American and Hispanic Business Students (NAHBS) is a business organization that is dedicated to molding our members into young, vibrant professionals. By giving them the opportunity to network with recruiters from Fortune 500 companies, our members gain access to experiences and individuals that could result in them landing internships and/or full-time positions. Our meetings allow members to meet with recruiters to practice crucial networking and interviewing skills, as well as be given opportunities for resume-building”

Email: the.nahbs(at)gmail.com

Events hosted by the Chicano/Latino Studies Department

Ballet Nepantla presents Mística

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2023 12:00 AM AT COBB GREAT HALL, WHARTON CENTER

Ballet Nepantla fuses contemporary dance with Mexican folklorico to explore new interpretative ways of delving into cultural and historical "in-between-ness."

The Future We Want: Land, Water, and Justice in the Americas: Detroit Michigan to Montevaerde, Costa Rica

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2023 6:00 PM AT RCAH LOOKOUT GALLERY

Please visit this special collaborative exhibition and join us for the Opening Reception of The Future We Want: Land, Water, and Justice in the Americas: Detroit, Michigan to Monteverde, Costa Rica on Friday, September 15, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. In Costa Rica this project is called (un)liberated imaginaries in Monteverde, Costa Rica

First Voice Generation film screening with Q & A

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2023 7:00 PM AT CAS 145 LECTURE HALL

First Voice Generation follows the stories of three Latino high school students in Holland, Michigan, during an unprecedented global pandemic year. Each student struggles with their identity growing up in a historically Dutch community, feeling that they don't belong because they are children of Mexican immigrants. They each dream of being the first in their family to go to college, but a year of challenges ensues with virtual learning and the realization that the cost of affording college seems impossible.

Identity, Power and Labels: A Critical Examination of Latin Naming Politics

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2023 1:00 PM AT 252 ERICKSON HALL

CLS is pleased to co-sponsor this fall's Raines Colloquium celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month.

Building a Legacy: Inside the Journey to Establish the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino with Founding Director Jorge Zamanillo

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2023 6:00 PM AT WKAR STUDIO, 145 OF THE COMMUNICATIONS ARTS AND SCIENCES BUILDING

The MSU Museum in collaboration with WKAR and the Chicano/Latino Studies Program present a program to celebrate the creation of the National Museum of the American Latino featuring founding director Jorge Zamanillo.

Latinx Initiatives Community and Culturas de las Razas Unida Programming

"OCAT works collaboratively with CRU (Culturas de las Razas Unidas) and other MSU Departments to coordinate inclusive, responsive and proactive Latinx student success initiatives and programming for the campus community. For more information on these events, contact Juan Flores (floresj2(at)msu.edu)."

For more information and to see the events go to this link!