Fredrik Finney-Jordet/The Broadside

Central Oregon Community College is hosting several events for Latinx Heritage Month during October.

According to the National Park Service, National Hispanic Heritage Month is a nationally recognized project that “honors the cultures and contributions of both Hispanic and Latino Americans as we celebrate heritage rooted in all Latin American countries.” This means a month of presentations, exhibitions, and other events through the program’s many partners.

At COCC, the event is celebrated as Latinx Heritage Month and is a period for “recognizing the contributions and influence of Hispanic Americans to the history, culture, and achievements of the United States,” said Evelia Sandoval, the college’s Latinx Program Coordinator.

Throughout the month, the college will host several sessions exploring indigenous languages, films, and even cooking.

The Latinx Program hopes to achieve its mission of assisting in the recruitment, retention, and academic success of immigrant and native Latinx students, according to Sandoval.

Of course, the COVID-19 pandemic has moved all events to virtual platforms. The month’s first program had a good turnout said Sandoval, but “Zoom is something new” and there were technical issues for the second. However, each event is recorded by Zoom and video links are accessible from the Latinx webpage.

Sandoval said, “we have received great feedback from folks who have attended,” and there are more events to come. A Guatemalan film discussion will be taking place at noon on Oct. 29. Additionally Sandoval said there are virtual events coming up for Day of the Dead, so “stay tuned for that.” Links to programs are on the Latinx COCC webpage.

For more information and to be added to the Latinx Program email list, you can contact Evelia Sandoval at [email protected].