The Spirit of Stony Brook marching band and mascot Wolfie led a parade across the Student Activities Center plaza to open Hispanic Heritage Month at Stony Brook University. The event featured flags from more than a dozen Hispanic nations, highlighting both unity and diversity within the community.
New York State Assemblyman Philip Ramos delivered the keynote address, emphasizing the importance of heritage and education. “Are we proud? Are we proud?” Ramos asked the crowd. “We are born in a proud heritage. And in times like these, when learning institutions are under attack, when diversity itself is under attack, it is more important than ever that we wear our heritage like a badge of honor.”
Ramos, who became the first Latino Deputy Speaker in New York’s history, spoke about his experiences growing up in Brentwood and serving as one of only 21 Latino officers in the Suffolk County Police Department before challenging discrimination through legal action. He told students: “A slave with a book was more dangerous than a slave with a gun. When you are educated, you are no longer asking the government for help; you are the one making decisions.”
Judy Jaquez, associate director of Diversity, Intercultural and Community Engagement and lead coordinator for Hispanic Heritage Month, discussed how this annual celebration creates space for students to express their identities. “We’re in a very lucky place that we can be out and about celebrating at a time when, in our country, people of many ethnic backgrounds are nervous and afraid to even publicly identify as who they are,” she said after the event. “Here, we can make all this noise, wave our flags, and speak in Spanish.”
Jaquez added that for 36 years this celebration has served as an entry point for those navigating cultural identity on campus: “It opens the door for faculty, staff, and students who are very connected to their heritage. It gives permission for them to feel safe being open about who they are.” She also reflected on her own student experience: “When I connect with another faculty member, staff member or student who shares a similar heritage, it feels like an unspoken bond,” she said. “That’s what I want students to feel too.”
Funding remains an ongoing challenge since events rely on volunteers rather than formal offices or dedicated resources. Jaquez expressed hope that future support would expand scholarships and programs focused on Latino research opportunities and cultural studies.
Alumni involvement has grown over time; recently an alumnus from the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers offered sponsorships so current students could attend its annual dinner. Jaquez noted: “It shows the legacy of 36 years of this celebration.” Organizers aim not just to host events but also foster intergenerational connections.
Ramos closed his remarks by encouraging attendees to be “bold, unapologetic, and proud,” after which music resumed on the plaza where faculty members joined students dancing while clubs staffed tables nearby.
Hispanic Heritage Month activities will continue throughout October at Stony Brook University.