Formerly known as “Chicano Week,”  Fiestas Latinas is a series of events held on the NMSU campus every spring.  Fiestas Latinas is funded by ASNMSU, our university’s student government. The student organizations that are formal members of Hispanic Council submit proposals for events every year to ASNMSU.  Because the events are funded by student fees, the ideas for the events come from students and the events are put on by students.  This work provides valuable leadership experience to students.  During the 1990’s, the students came up with the name “Fiestas Latinas” because there were so many Hispanic Council organizations participating, it was difficult to schedule all the events during one week.  All Fiestas Latinas events are held on campus and advertised on campus only. 

Fiestas Latinas 2012: February 29 - March 15

• Fiestas Latinas 2012

Hispanic Heritage Month is a nationally recognized period of time in the fall when Hispanic culture and heritage are celebrated. The dates of Hispanic Heritage Month span the months of September and October. This “month” is generally defined as September 15 – October 15. The reason for this is that the anniversaries of the declaration of independence of a number of Latin American countries fall between these dates in September and October.  

Every semester Chicano Programs puts on a Welcome Back event on  the NMSU Las Cruces campus.  The purpose of this event is for our staff to get out of the office and do outreach to students.  We have information tables either on the International Mall or the Frenger Mall.  As students are changing classes we approach them and ask if they have heard about our services.  We offer scholarship information as well.  For all of these Welcome Back events, Chicano Programs invites all of the student organizations that are members of the Hispanic Council to have a recruitment table.   Other student offices at NMSU are invited to host a table. 

If any student talks to a person at any one of the tables, they receive a free ticket for nachos and lemonade in hot weather or hot chocolate and a mini-muffin in cold weather. 

Generaciones is a mother-daughter program for 5th grade girls and their mothers.   The program is based on research that states that by the 5th grade, it is important that girls have 1)  a close, trusting relationship with her mother,  2) personal goals and 3) self esteem.  If these three factors are not in place by the 5th grade, there is an increased chance that the girl will not graduate from high school and continue her education.  Chances also increase that the girl will engage in self-destructive behavior that may endanger her future success.  

Generaciones is held each spring semester.  Chicano Programs works with two schools to identify girls and mothers to participate in the program.  Each hour of Generaciones focuses on one of the three  factors described above.  A familiarity with the university campus and it’s inner workings is another important element of the program.   Each year’s program culminates with an overnight field trip.  Each mother and daughter spend the night in the dorms to have a taste of college life.  The group swims at the pool in the Activity Center.  Members of the Chicano Programs staff and the staff of each school accompany the mothers and daughters on this overnight experience.

Each semester Hispanic and other minority female professionals are invited to speak to the group.  These women discuss how they obtained their education and demonstrate interesting facets of their profession.

Generaciones has been conducted by Chicano Programs for almost twenty years.   Funding is provided by the Office of the Provost from the Minority Recruitment and Retention fund.