LaGuardia Community College Celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month 2025
LONG ISLAND CITY, NY (September 16, 2025) — LaGuardia Community College/CUNY will celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month—observed annually from September 15 to October 15—with a series of events honoring Latino and Hispanic culture, history, and contributions. As a federally designated Hispanic-Serving Institution, LaGuardia serves a student body that is 46% Hispanic and ranks among the top five colleges in New York State for Hispanic student enrollment and degree completion. Through academic programs, cultural events, and student support services, LaGuardia fosters an inclusive and empowering environment for Hispanic students and the broader community.
LaGuardia’s 2025 Hispanic Heritage Month events are presented by Casa de las Américas—known on campus as La Casa—the first center of its kind at a CUNY community college. Its mission is to celebrate and support Latinx, Latin American, and Caribbean culture, education, and community engagement. Additional event partners include the college’s Fine Arts program, Social Science Department, and Campus Life.
“I am honored to begin my tenure as Director of La Casa at LaGuardia Community College on the first day of Hispanic Heritage Month,” said Lorenley Báez, who joined LaGuardia as Casa’s director on September 15. “This year’s national theme, Collective Heritage: Honoring the Past, Inspiring the Future, highlights the importance of cultural roots and the ongoing pursuit of dignity and recognition. LaGuardia’s commitment to celebrating Latinx heritage through inclusive and impactful programming is deeply inspiring. La Casa’s programming will explore the vast richness of the Latino culture, contributions and legacy. I invite the LaGuardia community to join our events and partner with us to showcase the collective power and resilience of the Latino community.”
The celebration begins on Tuesday, September 16, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., with an artist talk and installation by Puerto Rican-born visual artist Diógenes Ballester. The event will take place in the gallery space located in the M-Building Lobby, adjacent to La Casa. Mr. Ballester, known for his work as an “arteologist,” will unveil his latest installation, Cumbre Afro: The Negro Digs Up His Past. It’s a tribute to Arturo Alfonso Schomburg (1874–1938), the Puerto Rican American historian who worked to recover and elevate Afro-Caribbean histories and identities. The installation, which will be on view through October 17, features symbolic figures including Elegüa—the Yoruba deity of crossroads, and La Madama—a matriarchal spirit guide in Caribbean folk traditions. The exhibit, which includes a video by Judith Escalona, is coordinated by Arianne M. Fernandez, Fine Arts Professor and Manager of the LaGuardia Galleries, and Dr. Ryan Mann-Hamilton, Professor of Anthropology.
On Wednesday, September 17, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., Casa de las Américas will host an Open House in room M-144 of the M-Building. Director Lorenley Báez will welcome students, faculty, and staff with Kermesse en la Plaza, a festive celebration featuring live norteño music, dancing, and refreshments. For more information, contact La Casa Manager Nedelka Sotelo at gsotelo@lagcc.cuny.edu.
On Tuesday, October 7, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., a Modern Languages Workshop will take place in Room E-242 of the E-Building, offering mini-lessons and cultural activities that showcase LaGuardia’s language programs.
The month-long celebration will conclude on Wednesday, October 15, with a community-wide Hispanic Heritage Celebration on the LaGuardia Community Greenway—a pedestrian-only block of 29th Street stretching from Skillman Avenue to 47th Avenue. The event will feature music, games, food, and information about campus and local resources. Event timing is currently being finalized. La Casa is coordinating the event in collaboration with community and campus partners.
Additional events include a Paint & Sip on Tuesday, September 30, from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Poolside Café in the E-Building. A second Paint & Sip, focused on Indigenous heritage, is scheduled for Tuesday, October 14, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. in Room MB-10 of the M-Building. Both events are designed to offer students a relaxed, creative, and social environment where they can express themselves artistically, while engaging with cultural themes. For more information, contact Campus Life at campuslife@lagcc.cuny.edu.
Hispanic Heritage Month is observed nationally from September 15 through October 15, coinciding with the independence days of several Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua all celebrate their independence on September 15, followed by Mexico on September 16 and Chile on September 18. Originally established as a week-long observance in 1968, it was expanded to a month-long celebration by Congress in 1988.
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LaGuardia Community College (LAGCC), a Hispanic-Serving Institution, located in Long Island City, Queens offers more than 50 associate degrees and academic certificates, and more than 65 continuing education programs to prepare New Yorkers for transfer to senior colleges and rewarding jobs and careers. An institution of the City University of New York (CUNY), the College reflects the legacy of our namesake, Fiorello H. LaGuardia, the former NYC mayor beloved for his advocacy of the underserved. Since 1971, LaGuardia’s academic programs and support services have advanced the socioeconomic mobility of students from Queens, NYC and beyond.
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