In Their Own Words: Honoring Hispanic Heritage Month

ALBANY, N.Y. (Oct. 3, 2023) — Hispanic Heritage Month, Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, honors the contributions of Latino and Hispanic Americans to the United States, both historically and today. To celebrate, Johans Severino, a Communication major set to graduate in December, spoke to UAlbany students about what the month means to them. Severino is an intern in the Office of Communications and Marketing, spending the fall semester helping the office with photography and social media.
 

“I am half Puerto Rican and half Moroccan, so Hispanic Heritage Month is important for me and my family, especially for my family members who still live back home in Puerto Rico. Being around my family and being around our culture is an amazing thing to be a part of. Hispanic Heritage Month should be important to everyone because it’s a very big way of living. A lot of people around the Albany community are Hispanic so we should look out, support one another and bring each other up always. I want other people to know how inclusive we are of others and other people’s cultures. I would love for others to learn about how people from my Hispanic community live and the things that we do in our day-to-day lives to get a more in-depth understanding of our culture.” 

Adam Achehboune, Class of 2025 
Biology major 

President of La Unidad Latina, Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity Inc. 
Vice President of Project Inspire 
Treasurer of Puerto Rican Student Association 

“Latine Heritage Month is an important month because it gives us an opportunity celebrate our contributions to our democracy, to this country, and worldwide. I want people to use Hispanic Heritage Month as an opportunity to educate themselves. We’re using this month as a form of expression, so take it all in. There’s a lot of resources out there and the better educated you are, the better understanding you will have." 

Denzel Avila, Class of 2025 
Economics major with a double minor in psychology and sociology  

President of Fuerza Latina 
Chapter Vice President and Secretary of La Unidad Latina, Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity Inc. 

“To me, Hispanic Heritage Month is about bringing awareness to the Hispanic community, Hispanic leaders and Hispanic women leaders. It’s about celebrating our heritage and it’s an embracement of Hispanics as a community. It means a lot to me because I get to see how much my heritage has impacted the community and showing others and future generations the amount of work that my people do. It also empowers other people of the Hispanic Heritage to be leaders in their own community and in their own spaces.”

Gabriela A. Cruz Hernandez, Class of 2025 
Political Science major 

Connections Peer Advisor at the Multicultural Resource Center 
 

“For me, Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to proudly embrace and celebrate my cultural roots, traditions and family heritage. It's an opportunity to educate others about the diverse tapestry of Hispanic and Latine cultures and their unique contributions. It also serves as a platform for advocacy, raising awareness about social, economic, and political issues affecting the Hispanic and Latino communities. It also serves as a platform for advocacy, raising awareness about social, economic and political issues affecting the Hispanic and Latino communities. Ultimately, it's a time to foster unity, pride and understanding.” 

Juan Torres, Class of 2025 
Cybersecurity and biology double major with a minor in Latin American and Caribbean studies

Connections Peer Advisor at the Multicultural Resource Center 
Programming coordinator for Fuerza Latina