(Jack Rutherford/Staff Photographer)
Food trucks, music and dancing filled McDonough Field for Noche de Fiesta, a celebration of Hispanic and Latinx heritage, on the evening of Sept. 30. The event’s flyer advertised the celebration as “the biggest Latinx collab of the year,” with representation from a total of eight different organizations: Association of Caribbean Educators and Students (ACES), Alas de un Mismo Pájaro (Alas), Afro-Latinx Student Association (ALSA), Centro Latinx, Dooley After Dark (DAD), Latinx Student Organization (LSO), Lambda Sigma Upsilon Latino Fraternity (LSU) and Vibez.
The groups held the celebration during Hispanic Heritage Month, which is celebrated every year in the United States from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. Events during the month of celebration honor the history, contributions and cultures of Latin Americans in the United States and beyond. This year, Emory Latinx students celebrated their Hispanic and Latinx identities through Noche de Fiesta, which provided food, music and performances representative of the variety of Latinx communities on Emory’s campus.
Students came together to share conversation over Mexican-Southern fusion and Caribbean street foods provided by local Atlanta food trucks The Blaxican and Negril. The trucks offered a variety of tacos, including blackened fish, buffalo chicken, al pastor pork and Jamaican style chicken, plus sides of rice and peas or macaroni and cheese. Attendees could also grab churros and glowsticks when they entered the event.
While some students bonded over food and good company, other students paired up and danced to the music provided by DJ Vitillaz. The tunes consisted of a variety of Latin and Afro-Latin pop and dance music.
Later in the evening, performances rocked the stage when student dance groups Alas de un Mismo Pájaro and Vibez performed different types of Afro-Latinx and Caribbean dance. The performances also included a drag performance by a Latina drag queen. Each performance brought a unique element of Latinx and Afro-Latinx culture that left the crowds cheering for more.
Emory’s first Afro-Latinx club, Alas, performed both traditional and contemporary forms of Afro-Latinx dance. President and co-captain of the team, Alisha Morejon (25C), explained the significance of their performance at Noche de Fiesta.
“It means sharing my culture, sharing my experiences, my love for my culture through music and dance,” Morejon said. “It's really important for Afro-Latinx students and people in general to have representation at these kinds of events.”
Morejon said that Alas is not just a dance team, but also a “community-oriented” Afro-Latinx affinity space.
“Obviously, we're super proud to be Latinx, but we're even prouder to be Afro-Latinx, so it's great to be able to share that with everyone,” Morejon said.
Vibez, a Caribbean dance group associated with ACES, also performed at the event, with each dancer adorned with flags representing Caribbean and Latin nations. The performance was met with enthusiastic cheers and applause.
Throughout the entire night, attendees danced and sang with those around them. Emily Perez (27C) especially enjoyed the opportunity to dance at the event.
“The dancing right now, I would say it's the highlight, just because it feels like an at-home party,” Perez said.
As the evening progressed, more and more people came together to dance in a large group on the field, moving together as one.
“Nobody knows each other, but we’re like family,” Perez said.
