Kaitlyn Hughes | features editor
Lucía Osa-Melero was at a conference in Valencia, Spain, four years ago when she decided how she wanted to honor National Latinx and Hispanic Heritage Month at Duquesne.
During her time there, she saw Fernando Valverde, a Spanish-language poet, present some of his work. After his talk, he informed the crowd that if they need help honoring literature, culture or Hispanic roots that he would be happy to help.
As an associate professor of Spanish and director for the Center for Hispanic Studies, it was Osa-Melero’s goal to bring Valverde to the university.
After receiving funding, Valverde made his way to Duquesne. He read excerpts in Spanish from his, at the time, newly published book, America, and also had students read a translation of the book aloud in English.
“That’s how I decided that every year I need to bring somebody interesting like this who brings a different perspective,” Osa-Melero said.
Latinx and Hispanic Heritage Month is recognized every year from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. It celebrates how the culture has contributed to the United States through cuisine, art, academia and more, according to The National Museum of the American Latino.
Throughout the years Osa-Melero has hosted a multitude of professors from around the country that represent different aspects of Spanish culture. The speakers ranged from authors such as Oswaldo Estrada, to Cristina Carrasco, an expert in Latino food.
“The idea was to bring different perspectives of our culture,” Osa-Melero said. “Not just the language and the literature that we teach here.”
In addition to speakers, Osa-Melero also focuses on groups such as the Latin American Association and the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in STEM and how they observe Latinx and Hispanic heritage month.
Osa-Melero said the month-long celebration is a vital aspect of honoring all the culture, history and roots Hispanic and Latinx people have in the United States.
“I’m just trying to remind people that we’re part of the fabric of this country too,” Osa-Melero said. “We’re not only selling things at stores or working at restaurants. We are academics. We’re professors. We’re experts in very interesting disciplines.”
The Hispanic and Latinx groups coexist with all different cultures in the United States, Osa-Melero said.
Honoring the month at Duquesne is a reminder to faculty and students that the university’s community has Hispanic and Latinx members that are pursuing successful endeavors.
This year the department’s guest-speaker of choice was Maripaz García, a professor at Yale University who specializes in Spanish instruction.
García said that all minorities should have a month where their accomplishments are recognized.
“Take a look at what they are doing, how they are celebrating and be a part of it,” García said. “Even though it’s not your culture you might want to peek and see what they are doing.”
Osa-Melero said it is important for minorities to speak up because they are still an important part of the country’s history.
“I see it as a privilege to be in a country where you have all these cultures and languages coexisting,” Osa-Melero said. “It’s utopia.”
García spoke in a Rockwell lecture hall on Monday. She talked to students about how she does not use grammar as a central point in her Spanish class, though it has been done this way for years. Instead, she teaches the language through the lens of content including history, identity, environment and migration.
“We are trying to adapt the new way of teaching to the new Generation Z students,” García said. “They are more visual than we are.”
She explained that Gen Z does not have the same ability to focus as older age groups. This requires professors to include more videos and projects, while breaking down the material in smaller segments.
Senior Caroline Marino is pursuing a psychology major with a Spanish minor. She did not attend García’s talk, but she has participated in celebrations throughout the years.
“I grew up in a predominantly white high school, predominantly white elementary school,” Marino said. “Being around people of Hispanic origin, it just feels eye opening.”
Though coming from a non-Hispanic background, Marino has felt welcomed at every event honoring the culture.
She said that these celebrations have helped her appreciate why she is learning Spanish.
“[It] helped me to see a bigger purpose,” Marino said. “It’s more than learning a language, you’re learning about a whole other world.”
Marino said it is vital to participate in activities that assist in understanding different lifestyles.
“Especially at Duquesne because there isn’t a large percentage of Hispanic or Spanish speaking students,” Marino said. “I feel like it’s even more important to address that. There is a culture within a culture here.”