Campus will kick off its annual celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month on Tuesday, Sept. 15, with the official debut of an exhibit that documents the growth of Latine studies at Kenyon.
The opening event at 11:10 a.m. in the Bulmash Gallery of Chalmers Library will highlight “A New Way to See,” curated by Irene López, the Pamela G. Hollie Chair in Global Challenges and professor of psychology.
The Latine Studies Concentration, which is open to all, was founded in 2012 by three faculty members at the time: López; then-Professor of Spanish Clara Román-Odio H’21, P’11 ’18; and then-Assistant Professor of English Ivonne Garcia. It is dedicated to the study of communities in Latin America and the Spanish Caribbean, touching on everything from modern Mexican history and international development to literary translation and immigration and border studies.
Historically, the interdisciplinary program has helped provide a sense of belonging for members of the Latine community on campus, and today it plays an important role in helping students meet a moment marked by anti-immigrant rhetoric, López said.
“Our goal now is to make our students feel very strong and confident in who they are,” she said. “I want (students) to go and take what they learn at Kenyon and make the world a better place.”
The exhibition spotlights faculty scholarship and notable graduates, such as Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo López ’93, who is scheduled to speak on campus in conversation with Raul Romero ’22 on Sept. 26 at an event called “The Possibility of Many Things.” It also highlights student groups, including the Spanish-language publication A Medio Camino, and the affinity group Adelante.
The library display will be open until mid-October and was created with the assistance of two members of special collections and archives, Outreach Librarian Eve Kausch and Director Elizabeth Williams-Clymer.
Adelante President Ia Sofia Cabre-Jockovich ’27 said marking Hispanic Heritage Month is important — both for Latine students and the campus at-large.
“Having months like these is really important for visibility,” she said. “It’s always important to have moments where we can highlight minority communities. It’s also fun in terms of thinking of new events that we can have to … incorporate culture into the Kenyon community.”
Other upcoming events include an Oct. 13 visit from Melanie Y. White, assistant professor of Afro-Caribbean studies at Georgetown University, whose research explores Black, Indigenous and Afro-Indigenous women’s practices of sovereignty in Caribbean Central America.
Her talk will take place at 11 a.m. in The Gund’s Community Foundation Theater and be called “Intimate Sovereignty: Black and Indigenous Women’s Refusal on the Miskitu Coast.” The event is presented by the Departments of History and Gender and Sexuality Studies; the Latine studies and African diaspora studies concentrations; and the Kenyon Campus Community Development Fund.
The next day, on Oct. 14, The Gund Concert Series presents the Gabriel Alegria Afro-Peruvian Sextet. Its “From Lima With Love” concert will take place at 7 p.m. in Rosse Hall as the group draws from nine albums of original music, creating a dialogue between Afro-Peruvian rhythms and jazz improvisation.
And as is tradition, flags from Hispanic countries will be displayed in the atrium of Peirce Hall during the month, according to Chris Kennerly, dean for diversity, equity and inclusion.
The origins of Hispanic Heritage Month go back decades. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Congress set aside a week in 1968 to celebrate the contributions of Americans tracing their roots to Spain, Mexico, Central America, South America and the Spanish-speaking nations of the Caribbean. That was later expanded to a month.
The timing is significant for a number of Latin American countries that celebrate their anniversary of independence in mid-September: Sept. 15 for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua; Sept. 16 for Mexico and Sept. 18 for Chile.