By Elise Shuey
As the sun set on Friday in College Park, residents gathered to dance, eat and celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month at a city-planned event called “Bailamos.” 

College Park families enjoyed live music from La Rumbera Mayor Band, shared authentic Hispanic cuisine from Taqueria Habanero and reflected on what their own Hispanic heritage means to them. 

“For us, what’s really big is the food, the music and the dance,” said Katie Garcia, the city’s bilingual communications coordinator of Salvadoran descent. “It’s just a part of our culture and our identity.”  

Some attendees highlighted the prejudice that Hispanic citizens currently face in the U.S.

“At this time, when this current administration is against their presence, I think it’s important to especially celebrate their presence,” said Alan Hew, a College Park council member and Chinese-Mexican American who attended the event. 

Hew mentioned that President Donald Trump’s administration has passed multiple executive orders targeting immigration, specifically immigration from Latin America. 

“We are here to send the message that our culture and our stories matter,” said Rashel Moscoso-Morales, a first-generation public health master’s student at the University of Maryland. “Coming together this month, we are showing the world that we are here, that we belong, we are proud and that we are not going anywhere.”

Other attendees had similar outlooks on celebrating Hispanic culture.

“There have been so many different contributions from all sorts of Hispanic, Latino, Latina leaders,” Mexican American College Park City Council Member Jacob T. Hernandez said. “Not just across our country’s history, but also here in the state of Maryland and here in the city of College Park.”

Featured Image: “Bailamos” attendees dancing together. Photo by Elise Shuey.