'Show our culture': Community members gather to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

Dancing, conversation and community filled the halls at the Seymour Center on Tuesday night for the Hispanic Heritage Celebration — an event to promote the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, which takes place from Sept. 15 to Oct.15.

This celebration was organized by the Friends of the Robert and Pearl Seymour Center, Inc, a nonprofit organization that supports events like this one. 

As dancers entered the Center’s stage — first a mother-daughter duo from Nicaragua, followed by a dancer from Colombia — the crowd of over 40 people clapped and cheered.

The mother-daughter duo, wearing Trencilla dresses, danced across the stage to a mellow beat as everyone watched, enraptured by their synchronized movements. The Colombian dancer then took the stage, changing the energy in the room as he performed a cumbia dance accompanied by percussionist beats.

Attendees were able to experience traditional dances from two Latin American countries, showcasing the region's diversity and perfectly illuminating one of the many reasons for celebrating Hispanic Heritage.

“This is the month when we can most show our culture and our differences,” Denesa Ferrada, manager of the community participation program of El Centro Hispano, said.

Ferrada's organization is the largest Latino-led/Latino-serving organization in North Carolina that aims to provide education and community health, along with support and participation for members of the Latino community. 

The group partnered with the Seymour Center to hold this event to provide access to the celebration of the Latin culture to individuals of all communities during Hispanic Heritage Month.

“It’s the opportunity to show our culture — show our food, our music, our dancing — but it’s also the opportunity to show our capacity to be part of this society and interact with it in a good way,” Ferrada said.

The event was attended by people from various countries including Peru, Colombia, Argentina and the U.S.

The Seymour Center has had events in the past in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month but nothing quite like this one, Rachel Whitney, programs and operations manager of the Seymour Center, said. 

“We have such a diverse population here in Chapel Hill,” she said. “And we want to reflect that with events like this to make sure people know that we are open and welcoming to diverse populations and to celebrate those different cultures.”

For Laila Moustafa, this event was an opportunity to meet other Latin Americans in the area and connect during this month meant to celebrate their culture.

Moustafa visits the Seymour Center about three times a week, participating in the various activities created for older individuals to find community, like workout classes, lunches and English language classes.

By the end of the night, everyone present was engaged in conversation with one another, learning about their life stories and connecting about different aspects of their cultures.

Hispanic Heritage Month is important in celebrating the contribution and influence of Hispanic Americans to America’s culture and history — and for attendees, Tuesday’s event did just that. 

“Since Chapel Hill prides itself on being a diverse community, this is exactly the sort of thing that does bring people together,” Ceresa Clarke, president of the Friends of the Seymour Center, said. “And I don’t think you can put a value on it.”

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