Hispanic Heritage Month
By Elaine Arrieta Bohn
In May 2022, I earned a master’s degree in Learning Sciences. I had the honor and privilege of attending ASU’s Hispanic Convocation as a graduate. I knew attending this event would be special as I had a familial connection to it. My late great-aunt, Cecilia Esquer, had a hand in bringing this event to fruition and now has an award in her name given out to an Outstanding Graduate Student. My great-uncle, who is witty and gracious, is the presenter of the award, so I was looking forward to witnessing this meaningful occasion. What I didn’t expect was the pride and connection to culture and heritage that I would experience.
Arizona State University’s Hispanic Convocation was established in 1984 after a small group of ASU students visited a graduation ceremony at University of Southern California, which had a Hispanic convocation. Upon their return to ASU, they contacted Ed Pastor, former US House of Representatives member, but was at that time on the county board of supervisors and involved in an alumni group called Los Diablos. The students asked for help organizing their own Hispanic celebration assembly. He agreed and with the help of Cecilia Esquer as the faculty advisor, and the collaboration of other Latinx student groups on campus, a team came together to gain approval from the university’s college deans as well as administration to approve an off-campus event held in the town of Guadalupe. What began with forty-nine graduates at a community plaza, with the intention of highlighting and celebrating role models within the Hispanic community, has grown to a signature ASU event of nearly 4,000 graduates.
As a student and in my career as a teacher, I have attended countless graduations. I am known for extending a celebration as long as possible, so in true form, I attended three ceremonies for the conferring of this degree: ASU’s main convocation, Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College convocation, and lastly the Hispanic convocation. The Hispanic convocation was vastly different than the other two. It was a Fiesta! We arrived to live music, the graduates all had colorful sarapes, the ceremony started with a mariachi band and baile folklorico. I was proud to have my family in attendance to share in this celebration of our heritage. According to ASU, the Hispanic convocation is a ceremony “that honors the accomplishments and commitment of ASU’s Hispanic students pursuing higher education” but it was more than that. It was a beautiful and vibrant event that acknowledges our culture, showcases the talents of our people, and honors those who paved the way for us.
My experience as an American and a Latina means I navigate two worlds and often lack a sense of belonging, but here I was, surrounded by others who were in celebration of a shared culture, an arena full of talented Hispanic people, and owning my rightful presence in the space of higher education. It was a brief moment in my overall graduate experience, yet one that will remain in my heart and mind for a long time to come.
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