A month-long Hispanic Awareness celebration will kick off April 1st at noon with a rally in the Martin Luther King Jr. Commons.

NIU’s University Resources for Latinos has organized a month-long program called “Compartamos Nuestra Cultura: Sharing Our Culture.”

National Hispanic Month is an offspring of Hispanic Heritage Month celebrated in September.

“It’s easier for colleges to celebrate in the spring rather than at the beginning of the school year,” said Yolanda Trevino, student programming coordinator of Resources for Latinos.

Trevino said that National Hispanic Month was brought to NIU last year as an awareness month to dispel myths and stereotypes about Hispanic culture in America.

“Hispanics are the fastest growing minority in America,” Trevino said. “In fact, Hispanics will surpass the African-American culture as the leading minority within the next few years.”

Trevino explained that Hispanic leaders feel that a pro-active stand must be taken by the minority in order to make people aware of the growing influence of the culture.

Trevino explained that a poster is being made up citing the dates and times of all the events throughout the month of April. However, she emphasized the keynote debate on April 10 as a must-see event.

The debate “America: One nation, one language?” will be held at the Sandburg Auditorium in the Holmes Student Center from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Linda Chavez, formerly president of U.S. English, will argue for one language and Cordelia Candelavia will argue for cultural pluralism.

The event is co-sponsored by the Campus Activities Board and University Resources for Women.

Trevino said there is a movement in America which believes there should be one American language.

“One language to vote, one language for a driver’s license test, etc.,” Trevino explained.

“Group funding came from OLAS, University in Diversity, and CAB,” said Trevino.

But Trevino said a lot of different departments and colleges are coming together to make this happen.

Trevino explained that a large percentage of the funding for Northern’s Hispanic celebration was donated by the Kellogg Foundation of Michigan.

“The Kellogg Foundation has helped greatly with funding. Kellogg wanted something which is going to be long-range,” Trevino said, explaining the President’s Leadership Retreat which is being hosted this weekend by Latino resources.

Thirty-five Hispanic leaders have been invited to NIU from the Great Lakes area. Trevino said that Kellogg wanted the Hispanic Awareness program to be something people use to benefit their own communities.

“Northern is leading and organizing all of this. It makes Northern look good. We’re on the cutting edge; this has never been done before,” said Trevino.