The Office of Student Agencies and Institutes (SAI) in the Department of Student Engagement is proud to host the Hispanic Latin Cultural Celebration.
The Hispanic Latin Cultural Celebration is designed to pay tribute to the generations of Hispanic and Latin Americans who have positively affected our historical, political, economic, and social context in the United States.
The goal of the cultural celebration is to bring the FSU and Tallahassee communities together to enhance our cultural awareness, increase our knowledge of significant contributions, and share untold stories of Hispanic and Latin communities. The celebration takes place annually during the fall semester.
2025 Celebration
7th Annual Hispanic Latin Cultural Celebration
Tuesday, September 16
Ruby Diamond Concert Hall
Doors: 5 p.m. | Event: 6-8 p.m.
Join us for an evening celebration featuring musical performances, cultural highlights, and the opportunity to hear from our featured guest, Adassa.
Adassa is a singer-songwriter whose voice you may recognize as Dolores Madrigal from the film Encanto. Adassa will speak to her experience in the arts and entertainment industry as well as perform hit songs from the film.
The event is free and open to the public.
History
Each year throughout the United States of America, communities observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, by celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens and immigrants whose ancestors came from the Spanish-speaking Caribbean, Central and South America, and Spain.
The practice of nationally observing Hispanic Heritage began in 1968 as “Hispanic Heritage Week” during President Lyndon Johnson’s administration and was expanded in 1988 during President Ronald Reagan’s administration to become a month-long observance.
Florida State University honored the legacy of the community at its inaugural Latinx Cultural Celebration on Sept. 17, 2019 in the Ruby Diamond Concert Hall.
During the celebration, participants are introduced to Latin culture, music, and traditions. At the ceremony, a faculty or staff member is presented with Florida State University’s Latin Distinguished Service Award and a student receives the Rosalia Gonzales Award. According to our Florida State history, Rosalia Gonzales is considered to be the first Latin student to graduate from the Florida State College for Women in 1921. The program ends by engaging attendees with a notable Latin keynote speaker.
The terms Hispanic, Latina, Latino, and Latine are umbrella terms primarily used within the United States to describe communities that represent more than 22 sovereign countries throughout the Americas and the Caribbean that have a shared history of being colonized by the Kingdom of Spain. It is common for individuals grouped into one of these umbrella terms to self-identify with terms linking one to ancestral lands such as Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Colombia, Mexico, or Cuba.
Significance
The day of September 15 is significant because it is the anniversary of independence for several Latin American countries such as Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September 18, respectively. Finally, Día de la Raza, which is October 12, falls within this 30-day period.