Hispanic Heritage celebration is Tuesday

• Nobles County Integration Collaborative

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WORTHINGTON — Everyone is invited to the Culture Corner Celebration of Hispanic Heritage Tuesday, whether they have Hispanic heritage or not.

“We want people to get to know other cultures. They have so much richness, they give so much to our country,” said Jaidy Kolander, an aide at the Nobles County Integration Collaborative (NCIC). “It’s educational. You will learn more about other cultures and countries and get to know other people.”

Presenters from six countries — Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama and Chile — will show their traditional cultural clothing, sing and dance to traditional music, speak about their cultural experiences and lead discussions on Hispanic heritage.

All the speakers are local and their words will be translated into English for the audience.

Musical performers include Jose Rodriguez, originally from Ojinaga Chiguagua, Mexico, who will sing two songs in Spanish; Maria Sauceda, also originally of Mexico, who will perform a dance; nine students from Mexico, who will dance to “Muevelo”; Guapango de Mexico, a group of five dancers who will dance to “El Brinquito”; and We’re Always Happy, a group of three women from Mexico, who will dance a polka from northern Mexico.

President Lyndon B. Johnson started Hispanic Heritage Week in 1968, and it was expanded into Hispanic Heritage Month by President Ronald Reagan in 1988. The month stretches from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 and celebrates the achievements of generations of Hispanic Americans who have had a positive influence on society.

By starting in the middle of September and ending in mid-October, the holiday encompasses Sept. 15, the date of independence from Spain for Costa Rica, San Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua, as well as Mexico’s Independence Day on Sept. 16 and Dia de la Raza on Oct. 12, a holiday commemorating Christopher Columbus’ arrival in America.

Refreshments will be available after the program and will include Mexican cookies and Hispanic beverages.

“It’s going to be good,” Kolander said.

The Celebration of Hispanic Heritage program will be from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Minnesota West Community and Technical College, and is co-sponsored by Minnesota West and the NCIC.

Tags: nobles county integration collaborative, news, hispanic, mexico