For the 7th consecutive year, the Collegeof Charleston’s Department of Hispanic Studies is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 through October 15) with various activities. The Spanish House will host a celebration of the Independence of Chile from 2-5pm on September 18 on 8 Bull Street; tertulias, informal gatherings to practice conversational Spanish, will be held on September 16 and October 7 from 4:00-6:00pm at Yo Burrito restaurant on 77 Wentworth Street; Dr. Cecilia Brain will present “Pre-Hispanic Writing Systems” on September 20 at 5:00pm in the Alumni Center; Fresh Food Company will serve authentic Hispanic cuisine for lunch and dinner during the week of September 20-24; Hispanic film nights on October 5 and 12; Hispanic Studies’ award-winning chapter of Sigma Delta Pi, the National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society, will host a poetry recital in Spanish in early October (TBA); participation in  the Latin American Festival on October 2 from 12-6:00pm at Wannamaker County Park.

“Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month at the College presents a wonderful opportunity to share information with students and the community about the culture, language and history of the United States’ largest minority group,” said Dr. Mark P. Del Mastro, Chair of the Department of Hispanic Studies. “The U.S. is 2nd only to Mexico in having the world’s highest population of Hispanics, and observing Hispanic Heritage Month helps us reacquaint ourselves with this critically important and ever-growing sector of U.S. society.”

For more information, contact Dr. Del Mastro at delmastromp@cofc.edu.