How to celebrate Latinx History Month at USC

Latinx Heritage Month celebrates a special time of empowerment for the community, and various USC clubs and organizations have planned events to represent and celebrate the Latinx community.

Here are some of the events coming your way for Latinx Heritage Month.

Latinx Heritage Month 2022 Kick-Off Event

Missed last year’s kickoff that included performances by Grupo Folklorico? USC’s Latinx Chicanx Center for Advocacy and Student Affairs has you covered. La CASA’s Latinx Heritage Month 2022 Kick-Off on Thursday, September 15, marks the official start of the month of celebrations and is sure to draw a crowd. The event will be hybrid this year, offering an in-person component at Tommy’s Place along with an option to enjoy the event through Zoom. Food from different Latin American countries will be served and there will even be an appearance from USC President Carol Folt herself. In addition to guest speakers composed of USC staff, there will be music performed by the Afro-Latin American Jazz Ensemble from USC’s very own Thornton School of Music.

The event will feature three speakers: Darline Robles, the USC Rossier School of Education Associate Dean for Equity & Community Engagement, Andy Stankiewicz, USC’s Head Baseball Coach, and Julie Rousseau, Associate Athletic Director (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion). Those who want to attend remotely can do so here.

“Lotería y Tamales”

Remember that Vine that went “ESCALERA ooo?” You can experience the same joy at La CASA’s lotería event called “Lotería y Tamales” on Friday, September 16. From 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m, students can join La CASA to play lotería, win prizes and enjoy traditional Mexican food.

USC Housing will have its own lotería with free aguas frescas from Oaxacalifornia. For those who don’t know, lotería is a traditional game similar to bingo but with images on a deck of cards. In lotería, the caller, or cantor, picks one card at a time from a deck of 54, each with a different image. With each card, players mark an image on the board. A player emerges victorious when they complete a row, column, diagonal or a pozo (a square) of images. Only current USC Housing residents may attend.

Joteria Lotería – “Una Noche de Loteria con Orgullo”

The LGBTQ+ Student Center hosted a Joteria Lotería for the first time last year to honor the traditional lotería game with a modern twist. The center opts to host a millennial lotería with cards like El Pride and La Influencer, with prizes and fun nostalgic music. The event is set to make its return this October and is called “Una Noche de Lotería con Orgullo” (A Night of Playing the Lottery with Pride).

“Celebrating Latinx Heritage Month” Reading List

For anyone who needs a good read, the USC Libraries have compiled a Latinx Heritage Month reading list, handpicked by Latinx students from La CASA, the Latino Alumni Association and more. The list suggests the book, “Finding Latinx: In Search of the Voices Redefining Latino Identity” by journalist Paola Ramos, as well as works by USC professors and staff such as, “South Central Dreams: Finding Home and Building Community in South L.A.” by Pierrette Hondagneu-Sotelo and Manuel Pastor and “Boyle Heights: How a Los Angeles Neighborhood Became the Future of American Democracy” by George J. Sánchez.

Latinx Heritage Month Closing Celebration

The month will be closed on October 12 by the 2014 Los Angeles Poet Laureate Luis J. Rodriguez, who will headline the closing celebration. Rodriguez is best known for his autobiographical book, “Always Running: La Vida Loca, Gang Days in L.A.” USC President Carol Folt will give remarks as well. Student, faculty and staff speakers will also be featured.

These events only come once a year, so make sure to check them out. Happy Latinx Heritage Month!