The Society of Mexican American Engineers (MAES) and members of Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHIP) co-hosted the cultural event Our Heritage October 9 on Simpson Drill field to mark the historical significance of Columbus Day.
As part of Hispanic Heritage Month, held from September 15 to October 15, the event focused on sharing information about Hispanic countries and the influence European powers had on them.
The event was developed to spread awareness about the different ethnicities on campus and to promote the cultural diversity brought to campus by Latinos, said Pedro Reyes, MAES president.
“As a predominantly Hispanic organization, and as Latinos, we decided to showcase our countries, more specifically the countries the members from our organization are originally from,” Reyes said.
Traditional drinks, foods and snacks were paired with posters depicting the history of the Latin American countries from which they originated. Yuca, the staple food for many pre-Columbian cultures in Peru, Mazapanes, a popular Mexican candy, and a semi-sweet bread known as quesadilla from El Salvador, were all featured foods at the event.
“Attendees are supposed to stop at each table, learn a little about each country from our poster and members, and then at the end of their trip they could get an agua fresca, which also derives from Mexico,” Reyes said.
Manny Rios, Class of 2013, former MAES treasurer and event sponsor, said his prior involvement and experience was what motivated him to come back to A&M to give his old organization a helping hand.
“I know that when I was treasurer we had a lot of outreach for bigger companies especially larger companies that could help out financially. So looking back I knew that MAES is still in need of that help and I wanted to reach out and make sure that they had someone else that they could count on on the professional side,” Rios said.
Sith Senesoury, event volunteer and sociology sophomore, said he joined the event’s team to further his knowledge about the diverse cultures he is surrounded by on campus.
“It’s like expanding your diversity, which is what I want to do. I’m not hispanic but I do want to learn about these different cultures,” Senesoury said.
As the majority of MAES members are Latino, Hispanic Heritage Month has been more than just a celebration, said Jatzyry Teran, mechanical engineer senior and SHIP president.
“It reminds me of where I came from. It remind of my roots. Its reminds me of who I am and it makes me happy to know that there’s people like me around and that we’re all working to a achieve a common goal,” Teran said.
Rios said that Hispanic Heritage month is reliving the past by knowing his personal history, acknowledging present-day challenges and recognizing what the Hispanic community needs in the future.