Hispanic Heritage Month kicked off with the annual Parade of Flags Sept. 18, a march starting at the John D. O’Bryant African American Institute and ending at Krentzman Quad with a block party. Students carried vibrant, diverse cultural flags through the parade, which they said was a testament of the rich cultural heritage and unity of the Latinx community at Northeastern. 

“The parade was a good time to socialize, get to know each other better and talk about our cultural experiences that sometimes we are not really aware of,” said Alec Sebastian Tellez Almendarez, a third-year criminal justice and cybersecurity combined major. 

The event, organized by Northeastern’s Los Huskies Coalition, celebrated the start of Hispanic Heritage month, which begins Sept. 15 each year . The coalition is made up of 10 student groups and serves as a collective voice and support system by representing the diaspora of Latinx communities on campus. The Latinx Student Cultural Center and the Latin American Student Organization, or LASO, helped plan and lead the event with the help of the club’s president, Alex Rosado, a third-year business administration major.

“Today, we celebrate the Parade of Flags by marching together throughout the streets of campus,” said Brenda Loja Abigail Casasanero, a second-year public health major. “Our message [is]: ‘We are here, we are present and together. We are a part of the change as a community here at Northeastern University.’” 

Students at the event described the ambiance of the parade as necessary to create community and belonging on campus. 

“[The parade was] an opportunity for the Latino community at Northeastern to come together and celebrate our identities,” said Caleb Lee, a fourth-year business administration major.

This year’s block party featured traditional chicken, rice and bean plates as well as maduros, arepas and churros. Energetic music from several countries thumped through speakers as students mingled and danced to celebrate their heritage. 

Lee said as participants marched around campus, “blasting music as Latinos usually do,” they made it clear that they are loud and proud. Students emphasized the importance of showing their culture on campus due to what they say is a lack of diversity and difficulty finding community. 

“Northeastern had reposted the Parade of Flags [event on Instagram],” Lee said. “That was very exciting for us because I feel like Northeastern never really brings attention or highlights the Latino community or events that go on at Northeastern, so this was our first big plug.” 

Lee said Northeastern’s promotion of the parade marked an important step for the recognition of the Latinx community on campus, adding that the parade allowed students to continue to reflect on the importance of representation. 

Both Loja and Tellez emphasized that the Latinx community on campus has grown, in part due to student groups’ presence on social media and the ability to promote events and tables in spaces like Fall Fest. 

“I think this year, it got a lot more coverage, which was awesome to see all the students coming into the event,” Tellez said. “I think other years, it was a little bit shadowed, but I’m really happy with this year’s turnout.” 

Tellez said creating spaces for these voices not only enriches the campus experience but also helps build a stronger, more connected community. He added that he finds the Latinx Student Cultural Center to be a “second home” and encouraged anyone interested to simply walk in and find a new friend.  

“The cultural centers are incredibly welcoming — you just have to take the first step to walk in there,” Tellez said. “It’s a little hard sometimes to find the courage to do it, but I promise you that once you’re inside, everyone welcomes you with food, music and a space to have a great conversation or talk about anything happening on campus.”