As a passionate hispanophile (a lover of Hispanic culture and heritage), it is an honor to announce UA Little Rock’s celebrations of Hispanic Heritage Month. When I discovered Central American political poetry as a teenager, it sparked a lifelong love affair with the Spanish language and its cultures and literatures across the globe. Studying Latin American letters has expanded my world and given me joy and purpose as I continue to learn (and occasionally still teach and write) about this region. My life is enriched through friendships made possible by speaking another language, both here in Little Rock and abroad.
This year’s Hispanic Heritage Month, which happens every year from September 15 – October 15, is especially significant to me. September 15 is Central American Independence Day, and I will celebrate it this year with three friends who recently immigrated to Little Rock as political refugees to escape the Ortega-Murillo dictatorship in Nicaragua. Our friendship began ten years ago over a shared love for Nicaraguan poetry, and poetry has come to life as they discover newfound independence and opportunity here in Arkansas (They received their official permission to travel from the US government on July 4!). After years of being a passive scholar of Nicaraguan literature and culture, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for my three new family members and for the ability to translate my scholarship into more meaningful action.
During Hispanic Heritage Month, I hope you’ll experience the joy of expanding your world by taking part in Hispanic/Latino cultural activities at UA Little Rock and throughout Central Arkansas. Visit Southwest Little Rock and have a gordita at Paty’s or go shopping at Supermercado Sin Fronteras (two of my favorite places). Volunteer at El Zócalo, Seis Puentes, or Arkansas United. Ask ChatGPT to create a reading list of Latin American poetry for you, or get on Google to curate your own. Listen to Mercedes Sosa’s “Gracias a la vida” on YouTube. Take tango classes or go salsa dancing in the River Market. Practice your Spanish, even if you make errors and sound like a gringo (I still do!). Connect with others and revel in the vast stories and histories they bring to our community. Be a good neighbor and nourish your soul.
Dr. Erin Finzer, Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Professor