Last Friday, April 23, the JSU Spanish Club partnered with El Latido de Mi Cultura and the International Student Organization to host “Celebración de la Lengua.” This event aimed to help teach about Spanish-speaking cultures through games and small activities, while also providing testimonies from some of JSU’s LatinX students about their cultures and backgrounds.

Celebración de la Lengua overlapped with Día del Libro, or World Book Day, an international holiday celebrating literature and promoting reading. To commemorate this event, attendants assembled and created poetry in Spanish, and prize winners received books written by Hispanic and/or LatinX authors.

According to Spanish Club President Macalaah Johnson, “Celebración de la Lengua is important not only for the students who are immediately influenced by it, but also for those who are unaware of the beauty that surrounds the event. This event was planned with the vision of celebrating the music, food, traditions, and overall culture that surrounds the Spanish language and Spanish-speaking people.”

“Although JSU is diverse, the Hispanic and LatinX community are still underrepresented and so are the challenges that these students must overcome. This event is important because it provides our Spanish-speaking students, both native and not, a chance to display their love for the Spanish speaking culture, tell their story, and celebrate their diversity.”