Hispanic Heritage Month is an annual celebration from September 15 to October 15 dedicated to recognizing the rich contributions and achievements of Hispanic and Latino Americans throughout the country's history. The monthlong celebration provides an opportunity to highlight the Hispanic and Latino community's struggles, triumphs and cultural impact, fostering a deeper understanding of the Hispanic and Latino American experience.
At Rice University, we are enthusiastic about creating a dynamic and vibrant celebration that goes beyond traditional narratives, showcasing the diverse facets of Hispanic and Latino culture. Rice University recognizes the importance of Hispanic Heritage Month in fostering a sense of belonging, inclusivity and visibility within the Hispanic and Latino community. The institution is committed to exploring new possibilities, fostering fresh ideas and encouraging contributions that ensure the next generation inherits the resilience and strength needed to prosper.
The celebration at Rice includes a carefully planned series of events, discussions and festivities, highlighting the richness of Hispanic and Latino culture. The kick-off event, in particular, is anticipated as a powerful beginning to the month, connecting the relevance of Hispanic heritage with the arts.
The university aims to provide individuals outside the Hispanic and Latino American community with a glimpse into the daily lives of Hispanic and Latino Americans, moving beyond stereotypical narratives. This year's theme is "Florecemos Con Comunidad: We Bloom with Community." The idea of finding growth and strength in one's community is a sentiment that is often expressed within Hispanic communities and collectivist cultures. We rely on our family, friends, neighbors, etc. in times of celebration and struggle. In times where it may seem impossible to find achievement or fulfillment beyond the barriers presented, we can find belonging and opportunities within our respective communities and relationships. Much like a flower coming into full bloom, we too can weather the conditions against us and still flourish into something great.
As Rice University gears up for Hispanic Heritage Month, there is a dedication to creating a meaningful and impactful celebration that not only recognizes the historical significance but also serves as an opportunity for reflection, education and fostering a sense of community among students, staff, faculty and the broader population. The planning committee recruited seven students and nine staff/faculty members to design the monthlong programming, bringing together Owls who identify as Hispanic or Latino/a/x/e, as well as a consortium from different backgrounds, interested in supporting the Hispanic and Latino community.
We'd love for you to join us as we come together as a community to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.
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Hispanic Heritage Month 2026 Events
- Recurring Events
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Date Time Event Name & Location Description Event Contact Throughout Sept. Library hours Fondren Library Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month (West Entrance, across from Circulation) Browse and check out books from Fondren's collection that explore Hispanic heritage.
(Hosted by Fondren Library)
Jeanette Sewell (jcs14@rice.edu) Sept. 17-Oct. 15 (Every Thursday) Dinner service Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration: Dinner Takeovers
- Week 1 (Sept. 17): Peruvian Cuisine in North Servery
- Week 2 (Sept. 24): Salvadoran Cuisine in Baker Servery and Mexican Cuisine in West Servery
- Week 3 (Oct. 1): Venezuelan Cuisine in South Main Servery
- Week 4 (Oct. 8): Brazilian Cuisine in South Servery
- Week 5 (Oct. 15): Puerto Rican Cuisine in Seibel Servery
Guests are invited to explore the bold flavors of Latin America with special menus every Thursday during Hispanic Heritage Month at select locations.
(Hosted by Housing, Dining & Hospitality)
Joe Stayshich (js285@rice.edu) - September 6-12, 2026
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Date Time Event & Location Description Event Contact Sept. 11 4-7 p.m. ImillaSkate Photo Exhibition & Skate Opening Event (Chao College: Magisters House, Commons and Chao parking lot) Chao is hosting a photo exhibition by Luisa Dorr which highlights the indigenous Bolivian female skate group, ImillaSkate in collaboration with the Latin American and Latinx Studies program at the School of Humanities and the Houston Center for Photography.
There will be free empanadas and drinks. We invite people who can skate to bring any type of wheels to participate.
We are also looking for photos and clips of skaters at Rice to create a montage celebrating skate culture on campus. Click here to submit files.
(Hosted by Chao College, The Rice Center for Latin American & Latinx Studies and the Houston Center for Photography)
Njwi Achoh (nba5@rice.edu) and Luis Duno-Gottberg (ld4@rice.edu) - September 13-19, 2026
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Date Time Event & Location Description Event Contact Sept. 16 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. (during lunch service) Paleta Popup! (All Serveries) Housing, Dining & Hospitality will have paleta carts available in all of campus serveries during lunch service on this day.
Joe Stayshich (js285@rice.edu) Sept. 17 6-8 p.m. Beyond the Hedges: Historias de Latinidad at Rice University (Julia Ideson Library, 550 McKinney Street, Houston, TX 77002) Drawing on archival research from the Woodson Research Center and the Houston Public Library Special Collections, this exhibit traces the history of Latinx students, staff and faculty who have shaped Rice, from the university's beginnings in 1910 and the founding of RAMAS in 1972 to today when nearly 13.5 percent of Rice's undergraduates and more than 44 percent of Houston's residents are of Latin American descent.
Celebrate more than a century of Latinx contributions to Rice and Houston at the opening reception for the museum exhibition, “Beyond the Hedges: Historias de Latinidad at Rice University,” featuring archival research from Rice’s Woodson Research Center and the HPL Special Collections.
Registration is required. To RSVP or for more information, visit the Rice Latinx Histories Exhibit page.
(Hosted by Fondren Library at Rice University and Houston Public Library)
Portia Hopkins (pdh6@rice.edu) or Margarita Castromán (mc129@rice.edu) - September 20-26, 2026
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Date Time Event & Location Description Event Contact Sept. 23 12 p.m. Taste of CELAS + CELAS Research Expo (Rayzor Lobby) Join the Center for Latin American and Latinx Studies (CELAS) for an engaging showcase of student research and community connection. This event features undergraduate and graduate fellowship recipients sharing their recent research conducted in Texas, Latin America and the Philippines. Attendees will also receive information on internal and external fellowship opportunities in Latin American and Latinx Studies. Enjoy delicious Mexican bites and drinks while exploring student achievements and learning about upcoming funding opportunities. Food will be served on a first-come, first-served basis.
(Hosted by Center for Latin American and Latinx Studies)
Fatima Bazan (fb55@rice.edu) Sept. 23 7:30 p.m. Salsa Dance Workshop (Baker College Commons) Join us for our first dance workshop of the year. Learn how to dance a salsa routine (both beginner and intermediate) choreographed by Veronica Paz. No experience needed and snacks will be provided.
(Hosted by HACER Cultural Events Committee)
Leslie Rojo Flores (lr80@rice.edu) and Rocio Vides (rv53@rice.edu) Sept. 24 3-5 p.m. Thursday Hangout (Multicultural Center) Come join us on the first and last Thursday of Hispanic Heritage Month to enjoy delicious food and fellowship. Meet other students, faculty and staff.
(Hosted by the Office of Access and Institutional Excellence)
Marina Chavez (mc257@rice.edu) Sept. 24 4-5:30 p.m. Hispanic Heritage Happy Hour: Mocktail Edition (Valhalla Courtyard) Sip, celebrate and connect! Come enjoy delicious mocktails, music and good vibes as we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and the vibrant cultures that make our community at Rice special.
Students can register via OwlNest, but sign-ups are not required.
(Hosted by the Student Wellbeing Office)
Erin Timmerberg (et71@rice.edu) Sept. 24 7 p.m. Owls After Dark: LoterĂa Night (RMC Grand Hall) To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, the Student Center is collaborating with HACER to host a LoterĂa Night!
RSVP for the event through OwlNest here.
(Hosted by the Rice Student Center and HACER)
Cristy Torres (mt56@rice.edu) Sept. 25 6-8 p.m. SHPE Carne Asada (Multicultural Center) Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) will be hosting a cookout open to the campus at the Rice University Multicultural Center featuring Hispanic heritage meats, foods, desserts and music.
(Hosted by Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers)
David Ramos (dr102@rice.edu) - September 27-October 3, 2026
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Date Time Event & Location Description Event Contact Sept. 27 2-5:30 p.m. El DĂa de la Comunidad at Rice University - "The Day of Community" (Grand Hall, Rice Memorial Center) Join us for an afternoon celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of Hispanic and Latino communities at Rice and beyond. The name reflects exactly what this day is about--Coming together as one community to honor and celebrate Hispanic and Latino heritage, side by side.
The celebration kicks off with Community Connections or Conexiones con la Comunidad, where you can meet and engage with local community partners and organizations. From there, gather around for ¡Comida! or catered Hispanic food and refreshments to share as a community. The afternoon closes with the Nuestra Herencia Artistic Showcase, featuring live performances from Rice University student groups celebrating Hispanic and Latino art, music, and culture.
Edgar Avalos Gauna (ea37@rice.edu) or Melissa Sibley (mas26@rice.edu) Sept. 28 12-2 p.m. HHM Round Table: A Latina Mathematician’s Journey Through Academia (Dandelion Cafe Outdoor Patio, O'Connor Building) Join Professor Alejandra Quintos of the University of Wisconsin–Madison Department of Statistics for a roundtable discussion about her experiences in academia as a Latina mathematician and her journey in STEM from representation to belonging. The conversation will be moderated by Frederi Viens of Rice University’s Department of Statistics.
Registration is optional by e-mailing fv15@rice.edu
(Hosted by Frederi Viens, Statistics Department)
Frederi Viens (fv15@rice.edu) - October 4-10, 2026
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Date Time Event Location/Details Event Contact Oct. 6 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Free Paletas hosted by Office of General Counsel (Inner Loop Crosswalk near Multicultural Center) Take a break and cool off with free paletas hosted by the Office of General Counsel (Rice's lawyers)! Come say hi, grab a treat and get to know the legal team.
(Hosted by Office of General Counsel)
Linda Ybarra (aay@rice.edu) Oct. 7 12-1:30 p.m. The Texas and Latin America Social Science Forum (Kraft Hall 130) Texas and Latin America share a long-storied history, which includes large populations of native Spanish speakers who face myriad challenges in the current global sociopolitical context. This forum will shed light, using social science data, on ways to help improve the well-being of Spanish speakers in Texas, the United States and throughout Latin American.
Speakers include Professors Ruth Lopez-Turley (Sociology), Flavio Cunha (Economics) and Guillermo Rosas (Political Science).
Sign-up and lunch registration is requested. RSVP here.
(Hosted by the Center for Advancing Linguistic Science Director John Baugh)
John Baugh (jb270@rice.edu) Oct. 8 3 p.m. The Case for Marriage: Negotiating Racial Categorization in the Seventeenth-Century Pacific World (Fondren Library, Kyle Morrow Room) In 1672, a mixed woman in Manila named Jerónima de la Barrera sued her fiancé for his refusal to marry her. Then during the trial, the fiancé tried to escape his promise of marriage by enslaving her on the grounds that her ancestors were enslaved Black women. The case had outsized importance in a Manila—a colony of few Spaniards—where officials often freed Spanish men of past entanglements so that they could develop “legitimate” relationships with Spanish women. This talk argues that the case was more broadly emblematic of the gendered threats facing Manila’s large but vastly understudied free Black population and of the local contestations threatening the Spanish empire’s racial project in colonial Manila.
This presentation forms part of Diego Javier Luis’s current book project, which explores the many vulnerabilities of Spain’s transpacific empire and how individuals positioned themselves to benefit from the fracturing of colonial power in its borderlands. More specifically, it comes from a section focusing on the emergence of a Black Pacific World within the Spanish Pacific empire.
(Co-sponsored by Center for Latin American and Latinx Studies, Center for African and African American Studies and Chao Center for Asian Studies)
Fatima Bazan Mota (fb55@rice.edu) Oct. 8 7-8 p.m. GBM 3 HACER x OASUS (Farnsworth Pavilion, Rice Memorial Center) Join HACER (Hispanic Association for Cultural Enrichment at Rice) for its General Body Meeting, where members will come together to hear organizational updates, learn about upcoming events and build community over food. The meeting will also feature activities with OASUS, with opportunities for students to win prizes!
(Hosted by HACER)
Zach Rubio (rubio@rice.edu) Oct. 10 3-5 p.m. Dimensions Variable: Danza Azteca Macuilxochitl + Nameless Sound (Moody Center for the Arts) Inspired by the exhibition Radiant Geometries: Vectors of Knowledge from the Indigenous Americas, this event features live performances by Danza Azteca Macuilxochitl and Nameless Sound, followed by treats from Morelia Gourmet Paletas. Free and open to the public.
(Hosted by Moody Center for the Arts)
Lauren Cross (lauren.cross@rice.edu) - Oct. 11-17
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Date Time Event Location/Details Event Contact Oct. 15 4 p.m. The Hispanic Impact: Power, Progress & Possibilities (Welcome Center) Join a panel conversation exploring the profound and growing impact of the Hispanic community on U.S. cities, from economic vitality and civic life to education, culture and future development.
The panel will feature the following speakers:
- Dr. Laura Murillo, President and CEO of the Greater Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
- Dr. Sergio Lira, President of Greater LULAC Council #4967
- Dr. Catalina Gonzalez Urbe, Associate Director of Community Engagement at the Kinder Institute for Urban Research
- David Medina, former Director of Multicultural Relations at Rice University
- Dr. Ivonne Cruz, Research Scholar at the Baker Institute for Public Policy
(Hosted by OISS)
Maria Corcuera (mec3@rice.edu) or Larissa Romero (lr58@rice.edu) Oct. 15 4-6 p.m. Hispanic Heritage Month Closing Event
(The Grove, outside Sid Richardson College)As Hispanic Heritage Month comes to a close, join us for our annual closing event, featuring some of the best Latin food Houston has to offer.
Enjoy piñatas, ballet folklórico, a photo booth, a caricature artist and a petting zoo with exotic animals. Please invite your family and friends, as children are absolutely welcome!
Come ready to dance, celebrate, eat and close out Hispanic Heritage Month with a bang! (Look for the balloon arch)
(Hosted by the Office of Access and Institutional Excellence)
Grant Stephens (gs78@rice.edu) or Marina Chávez (mc257@rice.edu) Oct. 15 7 p.m. Transcending Time: The Ancient Maya through Art and Writing (Hudspeth Auditorium) Professor Lori Diel will present the first lecture in Living Maya Worlds: A Journey through Past and Present, a series organized by Archaeology Now Houston that connects archaeological research with contemporary communities and living cultural traditions. Diel will introduce audiences to the ancient Maya by exploring how their art and writing were grounded in concepts of time and the calendar, revealing how the Maya of the past continue to communicate with us today.
(Hosted by the Department of Art History and Archaeology Now Houston)
Lori Diel (ld83@rice.edu) Oct. 16 5 p.m. Partido de Fútbol (Intermural Field) This friendly fútbol match will bring together students from Rice’s North and South Colleges in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. Two teams of student volunteers, representing the North and South Colleges, will face off on the field while fellow students cheer them on from the sidelines.
The event highlights fĂştbol as a cultural tradition and a way to build community within Hispanic and Latino communities. Students are encouraged to come out, support their college and show their spirit with posters, signs and player head cutouts.
Open to the broader Rice community, the event combines fĂştbol, college spirit and cultural celebration while creating an opportunity for students to connect across the residential colleges and celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month together.
Interested in playing? Reach out to HACER to sign up.
(Hosted by HACER)
Arali Garcia (ag307@rice.edu) or Veronica Paz Agreda (vp33@rice.edu)
SUBMIT YOUR CAMPUS EVENT
We invite the entire campus to help Rice celebrate this year's Hispanic Heritage Month by organizing an event through your organization, office or department. Please use this Google form to submit details for inclusion on the HHM landing page and campus flyer, which will serve as the official announcement to the greater Rice community.
If you have any questions, please get in touch with Rosie Nguyen at rn66@rice.edu or Grant Stephens at gs78@rice.edu. We look forward to your submissions!
SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR PLANNING COMMITTEE
Hispanic Heritage Month 2026 was made possible through the time, creativity and collaboration of members of the Rice community who served on this year’s planning committee. Committee members worked behind the scenes to help bring the celebration to life, contributing to event planning, creative brainstorming, communications and outreach. Through the Kickoff Event, Closing Event and Marketing subcommittees, their collective efforts helped shape this year’s programming and promote Hispanic Heritage Month across campus. We are grateful to each of our planning committee members for their time, ideas and contributions to making this year’s celebration possible.
Committee members: Grant Stephens, Azucena Castro, Edgar Avalos Gauna, Frederi Viens, Jose Cicerchia, Kassy Garza, Marina Chavez, Martha Hernandez Galvan, Martha Martinez, Melissa Sibley, Pablo Hernandez, Rosie Nguyen, Samantha Casaverde, Yesenia Roman and Zach Rubio