La Bienvenida, a Fresno State tradition, welcomes new and returning Latina/o/x students, faculty and staff to campus at the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month. Presented by the Latina/o Faculty and Staff Association, La Bienvenida will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sept. 18 at the Satellite Student Union on campus. 

This event will feature traditional food (while supplies last), speakers, a photo booth and resource fair. Los Danzantes de Aztlán and Mariachi Orgullo de Fresno State will perform. Contact: LFSA@gmail.com.

Hispanic-Serving Institutions week

For Hispanic-Serving Institutions week — observed Sept. 17-19 at Fresno State, and Sept. 9-15 nationally — three panel conversations will lift up the work that Latinx student researchers are doing at Fresno State. Refreshments will be provided all three days.

Sept. 17: Mentoring Latinx Student Researchers and Creatives, Day 1 celebrates the role of faculty mentors supporting Latinx student researchers and creatives, from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Fresno State Library Ellipse Gallery. Contact: Dr. Larissa Mercado-Lopez, lmercadolopez@csufresno.edu.

Sept. 18: Latinx Student Researchers and Creatives, Day 2 explores the scholarly and creative activities produced by Latinx students at Fresno State with a student panel from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Fresno State Library (Room 3212). Contact: Dr. Larissa Mercado-Lopez, lmercadolopez@csufresno.edu.

Sept. 19: Fostering Excellence Among Latinx Students Through Initiatives, Centers and Institutes, Day 3 will recognize the roles that Fresno State initiatives, centers and institutes play in promoting Hispanic-Serving Institution values and Latinx student success, from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Library Ellipse Gallery. Contact: Dr. Larissa Mercado-Lopez, lmercadolopez@csufresno.edu.

Other campus-wide events

Other events are planned during Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15.

Sept. 10: Meet Your Pueblo, presented by Latino/a Programs and Services from the Cross Cultural and Gender Center, an interactive activity with aguas frescas from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Thomas building (Room 110); free to students and the campus community. Contact: Cynthia Villalobos, cynthiavillalobos@mail.fresnostate.edu.

Sept. 19: Nature y Nuestras Notas, presented by Latino/a Programs and Services from the Cross Cultural and Gender Center, a nature journaling activity in collaboration with Latinos Outdoors for Latino Conservation Week, from 3 to 4 p.m. at the Memorial Gardens (in front of the Kennel Bookstore); free to students and campus community. Contact: Cynthia Villalobos, cynthiavillalobos@mail.fresnostate.edu.

Sept. 25: Hispanic Culture for All: Appreciating Heritage without Speaking Spanish, presented by Latino/a Programs and Services from the Cross Cultural and Gender Center and professor Alina R. Méndez from the Chicanx and Latin American Studies Department, a workshop on how people can appreciate and participate in the Hispanic Heritage Month festivities without speaking Spanish, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Resnick Student Union (Room 206), free to students and the campus community. Contact: Cynthia Villalobos, cynthiavillalobos@mail.fresnostate.edu.

Oct. 1: Meet Your Pueblo, presented by Latino/a Programs and Services from the Cross Cultural and Gender Center, an interactive activity with aguas frescas, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Thomas building (Room 110), free to students and the campus community. Contact: Cynthia Villalobos, cynthiavillalobos@mail.fresnostate.edu.

Oct. 3: Rhythms of Heritage: Aztec Dance Class, presented by Latino/a Programs and Services from the Cross Cultural and Gender Center and the Aztec Dance Club at Fresno State, an outside dance class for campus community to learn the importance of the cultural dance and learn how to do a small portion of a dance, from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Speakers Platform, free to students and the campus community. Contact: Cynthia Villalobos, cynthiavillalobos@mail.fresnostate.edu.

Oct. 5: Feria de Educación, this community fair empowers Spanish-speaking parents and students, providing information and resources about navigating post-secondary education, featuring workshops, a kid zone, campus tours, food trucks and performances by Los Danzantes De Aztlan, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Fresno State’s Maple Mall. Contact: Fresno State Outreach and Special Programs, ospinfo@csufresno.edu. 

Oct. 9: Loteria: Fresno State Edition, presented by Latino/a Programs and Services from the Cross Cultural and Gender Center, a Loteria game with special Fresno State cards for students to play for prizes and to learn more about the traditional game that is typically played in this culture, from 3 to 5 p.m. at Thomas building (Room 110), free to students and the campus community. Contact: Cynthia Villalobos, cynthiavillalobos@mail.fresnostate.edu.

Oct. 11: Queering Mariachi: Mariachi Arcoiris de Los Ángeles, presented by the Cross Cultural and Gender Center and various partnerships throughout Fresno State and the community at large, as part of Hispanic Heritage Month and LGBTQ+ History Month, the center will host the world’s first all-openly LGBTQ+ mariachi group from 5 to 8 p.m. at Fresno High School’s Royce Hall Auditorium; free to the community. Contact: Cynthia Villalobos, cynthiavillalobos@mail.fresnostate.edu, or Felix Vargas, felixvargas@mail.fresnostate.edu.