Maricopa Community Colleges celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month with community events

In celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month, the Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) invites community members to attend events at many of the Maricopa Community Colleges.

“At the Maricopa Community Colleges, we understand the importance of engaging our students, faculty, and staff with opportunities to celebrate Hispanic heritage,” said MCCCD Interim Chancellor, Dr. Steven R. Gonzales. “I am fortunate to be actively involved in the Hispanic community – serving on the National Community College Hispanic Council Executive Board, Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, and Pete C. Garcia, Victoria Foundation Board of Directors – and am eager to invite the community to join in on our virtual events.”

To kick off the festivities, South Mountain Community College hosted a variety of events, starting with a Constitution Day Live Stream on September 17 with Maricopa County Recorder, Adrian Fontes.

Student leaders also had the opportunity to chat with Arizona Secretary of State, Katie Hobbs, via Zoom for National Voter Registration Day on September 22.  

Mesa Community College held a Sept. 24 and 25 viewing of Ayotzinapa 43, the docuseries that disputes the Mexican government’s account of how and why 43 students from Ayotzinapa Rural Teachers’ College vanished in Iguala, Mexico in 2014. Mesa Community College will also host an Afro-Latinx and Chicanx fishbowl on October 9, exploring prejudice, discrimination, and privilege as it relates to various identities within the community. In addition, join a virtual poetry open mic event, A Breath of Poetry, on October 15.  

Phoenix College hosted a Latinx fishbowl on September 24 to learn from the perspectives of Latinx students and leaders, as well as the surrounding community. The College will also offer a Dia de los Muertos virtual memorial on October 27 to allow students, faculty, staff, and community members to honor the memory of loved ones who have passed. In addition, there will be two sessions of a virtual event on November 19 featuring Tunnel of Oppression: Lost in Translation, which will explore topics of oppression, privilege, and power, framed by today’s most relevant issues.  

Scottsdale Community College will host Sharing our STories: Connecting the Past to the Future virtual event on Wednesday, Oct. 14. Pita Juarez (documentary filmmaker), James Garcia (journalist and playwright) and Gloria Montano Greene (climate sustainability advocate) will share the stories of their careers, how it helped create a stronger Latinx community and why community engagement is important in 2020. The session will be recorded and available for faculty to share with students following the event.

For a full list of events, please visit our website.

Tunnel of Oppression: Lost in Translation November 19, 2020 Virtual Event | Two Sessions: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. and 5 – 7 p.m.   Join us for a virtual experience that will challenge you to think more deeply about oppression, privilege, and power; framed by today’s most relevant issues.

Sharing Our Stories: Connecting the Past to the Future October 14, 2020 Virtual Event | 1 – 2 p.m.   Join Pita Juarez, documentary filmmaker; James Garcia, journalist and playwright; and Gloria Montano Greene, climate sustainability advocate, as they share the stories of their careers, how it helped create a stronger Latinx community and why community engagement is important in 2020.

Click here to view all events

About Maricopa Community Colleges The Maricopa County Community College District includes ten regionally-accredited colleges – Chandler-Gilbert, Estrella Mountain, GateWay, Glendale, Mesa, Paradise Valley, Phoenix, Rio Salado, Scottsdale, and South Mountain – and the Maricopa Corporate College, serving more than 200,000 students with two-year degrees, certificates, and university transfer programs