Lyceum and Student Life to Host Fiesta for Hispanic Heritage Month, Oct 12

Office of Student Life and the Lyceum Committee at Annandale Campus will host a Hispanic heritage fiesta on the CF Quad on Wednesday, Oct. 12, from 11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. Food and live music will be part of this event to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15 through Oct. 15). Immediately following, the Honorable J. Walter Tejada will present an engaging discussion, “Our American Dream: Latino Contributions Through Civic Participation.” Tejada’s presentation will take place from 2 p.m. until 3 p.m. in CA-302 on the Annandale Campus.      

In 2003, J. Walter Tejada became the first person of Latin American heritage to be elected to the Arlington County Board, or to any governing body in Northern Virginia. Mr. Tejada was born in El Salvador and immigrated to the United States at age 13. Mr. Tejada got his start as an activist and organizer after witnessing inequities faced by members of the Latinx community. He initially worked in groups addressing fair housing, job opportunities, and the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC). He also helped to establish a Salvadoran festival in Arlington, starting in 1995, focusing on Salvadoran culture. Mr. Tejada served as County Board Chair in 2008 and 2013 and is still active throughout the community to this day, serving on the Board of Directors for the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority.  For more information about this and other Lyceum events, please visit: https://blogs.nvcc.edu/lyceum/.

If you need an accommodation to participate in this event, please send requests to Connie Robinson, cmrobinson@nvcc.edu by Oct. 4.

Submitted by:
Manori Nadesalingam, AN-Physics, MNadesalingam@nvcc.edu