As an incredibly diverse university, Rice has many cultures represented on campus. And from September 12 until October 15, Rice will spotlight the history, contributions and achievements of Latino/a/e/x communities by celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. This month is very special to me because although I have been in Texas now for 12 years, I’m originally from Monterrey, Mexico! 

Hispanic Heritage Month got off to a great start with the Latine Heritage Month Kick Off. It was an amazing night featuring food from local Houston restaurant Churrascos Steakhouse, entertainment by Afro-Cuban dancers & drummers, and cultural group performances that showcased the rich culture of the Hispanic community here at Rice! Among the groups performing were: trío music group Grupo Viento, student group Los Búhos del Norte, and the Mariachi Luna Llena — which I am also a part of! It was great to see so many students enjoying the festivities while also enjoying a piece of my culture. 

At Rice, I’ve met people from all over the world — our population is made up of students from all 50 states and over 98 countries — who have eagerly shared their experiences abroad and some of their unique traditions with me. This is one of the reasons why I joined the mariachi band here at Rice — to share in return.

The Multicultural Center (MCC) is also hosting hangouts every week during Hispanic Heritage Month. Here, students can enjoy international foods, such as aguas frescas and Mexican sweet bread provided by the H&D department, and community. I’ve met many new people through these events, and also reconnected with fellow Latine colleagues. These hangouts have totally been worth the trip all the way from McMurtry College… and not just for the food!

Our mariachi group has also been hired to perform at several Hispanic heritage celebrations this month. To help promote cultural awareness, we have performed at birthday parties, quinceañeras, weddings and for campus events this month. We were even invited to kick off Hispanic Heritage month by performing a fun arrangement of the national anthem for the Houston Astros on Sept. 14! Our group has been extremely privileged to have done this for the past seven years. We even got to hang around for the game afterwards, which ended up being really good (we won 10 to 4)!

The month isn’t over yet, so there are still many more events to come. I’m excited to make more fun memories with my Rice community!

- Berny, McMurtry '26 (Published on 10/3/2024)