“Mariachi Americas,” a Benton-based traditional band, will serenade the lunchtime crowd at the Donaghey Student Center Thursday, Sept. 15, to kick off UALR’s Hispanic Heritage Month.

And to shimmy off those lunchtime calories, local disc jockey Salsa Alex will offer salsa lessons with live music from noon  to 2 p.m. Thursday.

“Do you need a reason to fiesta?” asks Kara L. Matthews, diversity programs coordinator in the Office of Campus Life. “Come on out and enjoy free food while listening, learning, and dancing.”

Later in the day, dinner and a movie at 6 p.m. in the DSC’s Leadership Lounge will feature the 1988 film “Stand and Deliver,” the dramatization based on a true story of a dedicated high school mathematics teacher Jaime Escalante. Edward James Olmos portrayed Escalante in the film and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.

The Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 celebration of Latin culture will be a series of interactive events, films, and discussions focusing on Hispanic live, culture, and politics.

Other events during Hispanic Heritage Month include:

• Dinner and the movie “Selena,” the film story of the Mexican Tejano-style singer; 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 27; Ledbetter Hall Room A, DSC.

• Screening of the documentary “Crossing Arizona,” followed by a discussion with the film’s director, Dan DeVivo. The film focuses on immigration crisis; noon to 2 p.m. Monday, Oct. 3; Ledbetter Hall Room D, DSC.

• Screening of the documentary “Mendez vs. Westminster School District,” followed by a discussion of the civil rights case in which a family stood up to a segregated society.The discussion will be facilitated by Dr. Terry Trevino-Richard, professor of sociology, and Dr. Anarella Cellitti, associate professor of teacher education; 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 4; College of Education’s EAST lab; Dickinson Hall.

• Immigration panel discussion and box lunch on the subject, “Issues, Challenges, and International Relations” from the Hispanic perspective.Panelists include Trevino-Richard, Professor Ranko Oliver of the UALR William H. Bowen School of Law; Maricella Garcia, director of immigration services at Catholic Charities of Arkansas; Daniela Montes de Oca Desachy, Mexican consulate in Little Rock, and the Rev. Steven Copely of the immigration reform movement’s Little Rock Friendship Coalition; noon to 2 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 11; Ledbetter Hall Room A; DSC.

• LULAC Awards Gala will feature Al “Papa Rap,” aka Al Lopez of Springdale, Ark., who is is building a communication bridge of friendship between people by helping enlighten North Americans to develop a deeper understanding of Latino and other cultures moving into the U.S. and help newcomers understand the new culture surrounding them; 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28, Ledbetter Hall, DSC.

For more information, contact Matthews at 501-569-3308.