Des Plaines (Sept. 14, 2023) - Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15 - Oct. 15), also known as Latinx Heritage Month, at Oakton College. Attend upcoming Latinx Heritage Month events, which are free and open to the public, to learn more about the Latinx community and support local Latinx food vendors and business owners.
“Almost 20 percent of our students identify as Latino/a/x,” said Gabriel Chacon, equity coordinator for ¡ANDALE! “ We invite all community members to attend our events to learn more about the Hispanic history and culture and celebrate with us the achievements and contributions Latin Americans have made not only on the global stage but in our community.”
History of Lotería
Sept. 25, 1 - 2:30 p.m.
Known as “The Mexican Bingo,” La Lotería is a tradition passed on from generation to generation for many Mexican and Central American descendants. Its eye-catching and provocative images are frequently recreated by artists worldwide, and scholarly research on this topic is quickly growing.
The speaker, Gloria Arjona, holds a Ph.D. in Spanish from the University of Southern California and teaches Spanish language and literature at the California Institute of Technology. She is the author of “¡Lotería! The Origins and Practices of the Mexican Bingo.”
Meet Kayden Phoenix
Sept. 28, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Kayden Phoenix is a queer Chicana writer and director from Boyle Heights, Calif. Upon entering the industry, she became an advocate for diversity both in front of and behind the camera.
She created the Chicana Directors Initiative, to support Latina directors and Latina directors of photography in successfully immersing into sustainable careers in the entertainment industry. In addition, she is credited with creating the first Latina superhero team in comic book history with her A LA BRAVA graphic novels.
Mercado de Cultura Latine
Sept. 29, 5 - 9 p.m.
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with an evening filled with traditional Ecuadorian dance performances and delicious food. Meet local Latino/a/x food vendors and business owners and dance the hours away to the DJ playing reggaeton, cumbia, merengue and bachata.
Shaping Educational Experiences: The Impact of the Americanization Movement on Mexican Education & the Pilsen Community
Oct. 2, 1 - 2 p.m.
The speaker, Sylvia Rosillo, will explore the Americanization movement’s lasting impact on the educational experience of Chicago’s Mexican Pilsen community. This presentation will delve into the transition from English-only pedagogy during the late 1960s to the evolution into the Bilingual Education Act in the 1970s, and the opposition to bilingual education in the 1980s. Using Critical Race Theory and Latino/a Critical Legal Theory, this session will focus on centering the voices of Latino/a individuals and examine how they navigated bilingual educational policies in the United States.
Rosillo is the librarian for Student Engagement and an assistant professor of Library Services at Oakton. She holds an M.L.I.S. from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She is pursuing a Doctor of Education in Education Policy, Organization, and Leadership with a specialization in Diversity and Equity.
Latin Representation in Media
Oct. 5, 3 - 6 p.m.
Equity coordinator Gabriel Chacon and ¡ANDALE! students will facilitate a presentation about Latin representation in various forms of media, including music, news and movies. After the presentation, the audience will watch a recent film that represents Latinx characters and culture well.
Brave Voices Author Event: Celebrating Latine Narratives with Alma Zaragoza-Petty
Oct. 12, 11:10 a.m.
Join us for the Brave Voices Author Event with Alma Zaragoza-Petty, author of the transformative book "Chingona: Owning Your Inner Badass for Healing and Justice." The event aims to spotlight authors of color and amplify their stories, creating community and making diverse narratives mainstream.
Zaragoza-Petty is committed to fighting injustices and imagining life-affirming spaces in which we can all coexist. Her book reflects on her story and invites readers to join the legacy of brave women who have used their healing to transform society. Never shying away from her complicated upbringing in Los Angeles and Acapulco, Mexico, she repurposes her pain and challenges all to imagine a better future.
For more information about the events, please visit the events page on Oakton’s website.
The Association to Nurture and Develop the Advancement of Latino/a/x Students in Education (¡ANDALE!) at Oakton works to ensure the success of our Latino/a/x students. From application to graduation, we want to see every student thrive, and ¡ANDALE! provides events and services to keep you connected to the college experience. Learn more about ¡ANDALE! on Oakton’s website.