PORTALES, NM – Sept. 16, 2024 – Eastern New Mexico University's Office of Hispanic Affairs celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month – Sept. 15 through Oct. 15 – with numerous events, speaking engagements, and music programs on campus.

First approved by U.S. President Lyndon Johnson as Hispanic Heritage Week in 1968 and expanded by President Ronald Reagan, National Hispanic Heritage Month was enacted into law in 1988 and is a time when citizens are encouraged to recognize the contributions of Hispanic Americans to this nation's history and culture.

Scheduled events to help celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month include a Mala Maña concert, a Hispanic food truck rally, an Argentine Brittes Trio Accordionist performance, and a Noche de Lotería.

The Office of Hispanic Affairs will also have many guest lectures to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. Special guest presentations include a presentation on Genealogy in New Mexico by Henrietta Martinez Christmas, a historical researcher of the New Mexico Genealogical Society, and a Chihuahua Hill History Project presentation by Javier Marrufo, a curator for the Silver City Museum. Additionally, there will be a presentation on the impact of mental health in the Hispanic Community by Monica Bañuelos, a Clinical Therapist and Electronic Health Record trainer at Mental Health Resources, Inc. Finally, Padre Francisco Carbajal from St. Helens Catholic Church will present on Día de Los Muertos.

"Our theme this year, Learn Who You Are, Love Who You Are, was chosen as we continue to learn more about our culture and ancestors and embrace our Hispanic roots as extensions of ourselves," said Ross Barbosa, Coordinator, ENMU Office of Hispanic Affairs. "We will dive in from New Mexico history through the Atlantic to learn about Spain and the Mediterranean Sea!"

All events are open to the public and the ENMU community. For a listing of each event's times, events, and locations, please visit enmu.edu/Events.