Recognizing Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month at UCLA

Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month celebrates the achievements, histories and traditions of Hispanic/Latinx Americans and is recognized nationally from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. This month coincides with the independence days of several Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua celebrate independence on Sept. 15, Mexico’s Independence Day is on Sept. 16 and Chile’s is on Sept. 18, notes the National Museum of the American Latino.

Latinx and Hispanic Bruins have long played an important role in shaping UCLA’s vibrant culture, academic excellence and community engagement. UCLA students created the first Latino student newspaper at a university, “The Mexican Voice,” in 1938, as well as the first Latino club on a college campus, the Mexican American Movement, in 1942, according to UCLA Alumni. To learn more about Hispanic/Latinx student contributions to UCLA, click the link below.

Today, UCLA is home to more than  20 Latinx cultural student clubs and organizations, ranging from pre-professional groups, such as Latinx Pre-Law Association and Society of Latinx Engineers and Scientists, to the La Gente Newsmagazine and artistic organizations, such as Ritmo Vivo, a Latin dance group. Students who are interested in getting involved with Latinx organizations on campus can find more information about different clubs at the link below.

UCLA also recently opened the Latinx Success Center (LSC) in March 2025, which supports UCLA’s annual Latinx welcome event every fall quarter. The event welcomes new and continuing undergraduate and graduate students, and is a place where they can connect with other students, faculty and alumni. Click the link below to learn more about the LSC and Latinx Welcome.