Vicente Griego says he was thinking of the Battle of Troy when he brought boxes of art supplies and images of historic Hispanic revolutionaries and artists into Albuquerque community centers.
At "Noche de Arte y Juventud," an event designed to bring Hispanic youth to UNM, children from community centers and schools presented shadowboxes made from the supplies Griego had brought them.
"I wanted to cry when I saw them," said Jennifer G¢mez-Ch†vez, president of De Colores. "They're incredible."
Griego, a student programs adviser at El Centro de la Raza, said every people has a legacy of arte, and the youth will have to represent it with an understanding of the history and meaning behind it.
De Colores Inc., a campus group with a mission to educate the community about Hispanic Heritage Month, put on the event.
G¢mez-Ch†vez said it's important to maintain culture and heritage, because it takes extra effort in American society.
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"When you go to school, everything's English - which is fine, because this is America," she said. "We've seen our language dying, and we want to make sure we carry on those traditions. It's important to keep it alive."
G¢mez-Ch†vez said De Colores wanted to show kids in the community there are role models such as speakers Eliseo Torres, UNM's vice president for Student Affairs and Veronica Mendez-Cruz, director of El Centro de la Raza.
During her speech at the event's opening, Mendez-Cruz asked all the children to stand up.
"This is going to sound ridiculous, but I'm going to shoot it out anyway," she said. "By the power invested in me, I make you now Lobos, OK?"
Later, the children learned the Lobo howl from Sonia Archuleta, one of the event's organizers.
Archuleta said De Colores wanted to bring children onto campus any way it could to show them what life is like in higher education.
"We want to get them exposure so they understand they belong here," she said. "This is their place. The generations before them have created this space for them at UNM, and we want them to continue it."
G¢mez-Ch†vez said Hispanics have contributed much to the United States, including music, dance, food, language and family. She told audience members to be proud of their heritage.
"Continue being proud, no matter what your culture is, of who you are," she said. "We have a lot to share, and we have a lot to teach. As you grow, we want you to become students, but never forget the beautiful traditions that make us wonderful people."
