UIW Hosts First Hispanic Heritage Symposium in Honor of Hispanic Heritage Month
From Monday, Oct. 7 through Thursday, Oct. 10, UIW hosted its inaugural Hispanic Heritage Symposium, a three-day event featuring several UIW affiliated speakers. They explored the vibrancy of the Hispanic culture as reflected through education, research, community service and artistic expression.
The presentations highlighted the diversity of the Hispanic identity, examining its presence and impact on the University through community service, curriculum, academic clubs, professions and career journeys.
“There are so many different ways and opportunities to celebrate and deepen our understanding of our shared Hispanic heritage,” remarked Dr. Rafael Hoyle, director of the UIW Liza and Jack Lewis Center of the Americas. “We have opportunities regardless of our ethnicity, our culture, our phenotype, our language abilities, our major, our birthplace or our personality. By bringing in 14 different presenters, we begin to see the vastness of these opportunities, and how we have so many of these different opportunities right here at UIW.”
In addition to welcoming guest speakers and attendees from UIW's San Antonio colleges and schools, the symposium offered a virtual streaming option so that students and members of UIW’s Mexico campuses could have the opportunity to join and participate despite the geographical difference.
“It’s essential to include the voices from our Mexico campuses,” stated Teófilo Reyes, assistant director of Leadership and Global Engagement for the Ettling Center for Civic Leadership and Sustainability. “These students bring a different perspective. Many of our presenters are Hispanic, but may not speak Spanish, and our Mexico students experience the culture from a different lens. It’s important for them to hear our side and for us to hear theirs.”
Reyes hopes that participating presenters and audience members took away from the symposium that each voice matters, every experience is valid and the space to allow us to learn from one another is essential. He hopes that people don’t put a timeline on when they are allowed to accept their Hispanic identity because their experiences hold value now.
“UIW’s spirit of compassion, empathy, and understanding are at the heart of this event,” said Reyes. “Often, we are more similar than we are different, and this event allows space for these ideas to be shared. Hispanic culture is rich, diverse, complex, joyful, serious—it has many layers. The participants of this event are part of that joy, contributing to both their current experiences and future generations at UIW.”
The Hispanic Heritage Month and Hispanic Serving Institution Steering Committees were key in organizing this event, along with a dedicated committee that gathered applications and presentations to create the program. Active participation was contributed by members from the Ettling Center for Civic Leadership and Sustainability; the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences; the School of Osteopathic Medicine; the School of Media and Design; the H-E-B School of Business and Administration; the School of Rehabilitation Sciences; the School of Math, Science and Engineering; the Office of the Provost; and University Mission and Ministry.
As Hispanic Heritage Month 2024 celebrations come to a close, the University will continue to honor and celebrate the contributions of the Hispanic community to the ongoing story of the institution.