Featured Event
Latinx Heritage Month Celebration
Wednesday, October 4 | 11 am - 1 pm | SSC Quad
Join us in celebration of Latinx Heritage Month! Explore local Latin vendors, participate in a Salsa dance lesson, and eat delicious food.
Latinx Heritage Month is a celebration and recognition of the many achievements and contributions of the Latinx community. The term "Latinx" is a gender-inclusive alternative to Latina and Latino that includes nonbinary and non-gender conforming folks in the community.
Language of Identity is Personal: Latinx or Hispanic?
Although the month is recognized nationally as “Hispanic Heritage Month,” we choose to highlight and focus on the Latinx communities from Mexico, Central and South America as well as some Caribbean countries. While “Hispanic” holds a very positive self-identity for some, others see it more as a term applied to them, not of their own choosing. The term “Hispanic” was coined by Richard Nixon in an attempt to unify Spanish-speaking countries, but did not consider how that highlights the colonization of the Americas by identifying a group with the language of their colonizer (Spain). In this, it also excludes Latin American countries like Brazil, whose official language is Portuguese, and erases the hundreds of indigenous groups throughout Latin America who have preserved their native languages. Similarly, the term “Latinx” is not the chosen term for many (learn more). What words do you use to describe your identity?
Events at IVC
Erica Alfaro Harvesting Dreams: Defying the Odds to Achieve the American Dream Puente Program
Tuesday, September 19 | 6 - 8 pm | Writing Center (LA 103)
IVC Puente Program welcomes guest speaker, Erica Alfaro! Join us as Erica speaks about her experience as a first generation college student, the story behind her viral graduation picture, and how she defied the odds to achieve the American Dream.
Latinx Heritage Month Celebration
Wednesday, October 4 | 11 am - 1 pm | SSC Quad
Join us in celebration of Latinx Heritage Month! Explore local Latin vendors, participate in a Salsa dance lesson, and eat delicious food.
Mexican History and Nutrition Workshop Krista Linares
Tuesday, October 10 | 5:30 - 6:30 pm | Zoom
Gain a deeper understanding of Latin cuisine, its cultural significance, and the unique nutrition benefits it can offer through this engaging virtual workshop.
Events in Our Community
City of Irvine and UCI Host Hispanic Heritage Month Festival
Saturday, September 17 | 11 am - 3 pm | Great Park, Irvine
The City of Irvine, in partnership with University of California, Irvine, will host the inaugural Fiesta Latina at the Great Park in Irvine. More Info »
Ballet Folklórico de Los Angeles
Friday, October 13 | 7 - 8 pm | Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens, San Clemente
Stories of Mexico are told through Ballet Folklórico de Los Angeles’ fresh original choreography inspired by the traditional dances of Mexico, with masterfully executed and unique musical arrangements. More Info »
IVC Communities
IVC Puente Program
The Puente Program is an academic, counseling, and mentoring program that has improved college persistence and success rates for thousands of California’s educationally under-served students. The Puente mission is to increase the number of community college students who transfer and enroll in four-year colleges and universities. More Info »
Latinx Club
Empowering Latinx students through intercultural awareness. More Info »
MESA Program
The Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) Program offers a dedicated study center where students can engage in Academic Excellence Workshops, receive tutoring in essential STEM courses, meet with the MESA Counselor, and receive guidance and support to enhance their personal, academic, and professional development. The MESA Center is more than a study space; it is a dedicated, collaborative community for student success. More Info »
Dream Scholars
The Dream Scholars Program is committed to bringing support, awareness, inspiration, safe and welcoming spaces for all undocumented IVC students and their families. We inform and connect students to reliable resources, providing academic, personal, career counseling, financial assistance, and more. More Info »
IVC FELLAS
IVC FELLAS (formerly EMCEES) is a DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility) driven male initiative focused on student success and community engagement for the college’s self-identified men of color students, staff, and faculty. This brotherhood was created to encourage college completion and transfer and to establish a sense of belonging. All are welcome. More Info »
Women of Color Collective (WoCC)
The WoCC is a group dedicated to building community and empowering self-identified womxn of color students, staff, and faculty. Womxn is used in place of “women” to be inclusive of all gender experiences surrounding femininity. Non-female-identifying students such as non-binary and gender-expansive folks are explicitly invited and welcomed. More Info »
Latinx-Related IVC Courses
- ANTH 2 – Cultural Anthropology
- COMM 9 – Intercultural Communication
- DNCE 38 – Ballroom Dance: Latin Dances
- ETHN 10 – Introduction to Ethnic Studies
- ETHN 30 – Introduction to Chicanx Studies
- HLTH 6 – Health and Social Justice
- HIST 25 – History of California
- HUM 10 – Introduction to Cultural Studies
- KNES 97 – Social Cultural Issues in Sport
- MUS 21 – World Music
- SOC 20 – Race and Ethnic Group Relations