By John Spinelli
National Hispanic Heritage Month is underway and there are many events and activities being offered in the Two River area to celebrate the diverse cultures and achievements of Latin Americans.
Monmouth University in West Long Branch is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. The university, given its close location to both Long Branch and Asbury Park, has always had a strong Hispanic student and faculty population.
This semester, the Monmouth Center for the Arts is having a few events to commemorate the month with artwork and performing arts.
The show “Guajiros Retratos De Otoño” by Cuban artist Lázaro Niebla shows wood carving portraits of elderly villagers. The pictures are of daily life, giving the audience an understanding of what life was like during Spanish colonization in Cuba. Many include fictional family portraits and depictions of farming.
A demonstration by the artist will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Sept. 27 at the Great Hall Auditorium and an opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m. Sept. 29 in the Pollak Gallery.
Christian Spaulding, 30, Middletown, the throwing track and field coach at Monmouth University, said he is looking forward to attending the art show.
“The upcoming event means a lot,” Spaulding said. “Monmouth University students are more accepting of learning Hispanic culture now than before.”
But, he noted, even “growing up in Middletown from elementary to high school, people have always seemed to appreciate my culture. There were a few other students that were Mexican and Peruvian, so I wasn’t the only person.”
Spaulding’s mother is from Ecuador which has given him many opportunities.
“I was able to get my citizenship with Ecuador through my mother. I had the opportunity to throw javelin for Team Ecuador and compete at the International U20 championship in Uruguay. I was able to learn a lot more about my heritage in South America,” he said.
Monmouth University’s celebration ends Oct. 14 with a Ballet Hispanico event Saturday night at the Pollak Theater. The show will showcase modern and traditional dances from different Hispanic cultures.
The national celebration’s historical beginnings go back to 1968 when President Lyndon B. Johnson proclaimed a Hispanic Heritage Week to honor the achievements of Hispanic Americans. That was expanded in 1988 to National Hispanic Heritage Month by President Ronald Reagan.
The 30-day celebration begins Sept. 15 to honor the independence days of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua; Sept. 16 is Mexican Independence Day and Chilean Independence Day is celebrated Sept. 18. The month ends with Dia de la Raza (Columbus Day), commemorating Christopher Coough, the Red Bank Public Library and the Count Basie Center for the Arts are holding the second annual Hispanic Heritage Celebration from 2 to 6 p.m. in Riverside Park, free of charge. There will be music, food and family fun.
The Red Bank Library will also be having some events to educate the public: Prior to the festival in Riverside Park, the library will feature “All About Alpacas,” giving kids an opportunity to meet an alpaca or two; the camelid mammal is a species native to South America. There will also be some book readings in both Spanish and English.
The article originally appeared in the September 21 – 27, 2023 print edition of The Two River Times.
