Martina Granados, senior director of Outreach and Special Programs, is a first-generation high school graduate and college student struggling to find her place while paving the way for her siblings.

She begins telling her story about how she got to Fresno State in the first place. If her parents saw her not attending school, they would wake her up and she would have to help them work in the fields.

“What you do today matters. Make the best out of it,” Granados said. “My advice to you would be to work hard, manage your time, use the resources and services that Fresno State provides, stay organized, don’t be negative, smile more, take care of yourself, ask for help and please don’t make excuses.”

Fresno State’s Latino Faculty and Staff Association (LFSA) hosted La Bienvenida on Sept. 29 in the Satellite Student Union, celebrating students of Hispanic culture. 53% of the students who attend Fresno State are of Hispanic heritage.

The event kicked off with music and a photo booth where students could enjoy music and take pictures with friends while also browsing over 25 booths at a resource fair.

The celebrations, held from Sept. 15-Oct. 15, allow Hispanic students to gain community and honor the history and contributions they have at Fresno State.

Olivia Palazuelos, a trumpet player for Mariachi Orgullo de Fresno State, showcased her musical talent with her 12 band members as “gritos” echoed through the crowd.

“Being Mexican American, I feel like I get to relate to a lot of people, and through music. It’s cool to see people relate to us in the same way we relate to them,” said Palazuelos.

Walking into the event, students received two tickets, one for a plate of food and one for the raffle that took place at the end of the event.

When the first round of food was available at 11:30 a.m., students exchanged tickets for one meal that consisted of two chicken tacos with a choice of red or green salsa on the side and one cup of horchata or jamaica, two traditional Hispanic beverages.

Estevan Parra Guerrero, LFSA President and director of Upward Bound Programs, issued welcome remarks where he thanked the booths for attending and the students for making this event possible, as this was the largest “La Bienvenida” turnout he has seen.

Guerrero introduced Kent Willis, vice president of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, and pointed out that this event would not have been possible without him.

Willis stresses how important this event is in celebrating diversity and inclusion at Fresno State.

“Events like this are reminiscent of the rich cultural tapestry that makes Fresno State such a beautiful place,” Willis said.

The next speaker was Associated Students, Inc. president, Karen Carrillo, who first welcomed and thanked everybody in Spanish, then translated it into English.

Carrillo spoke of the importance of embracing Hispanic culture, as she is a first-generation college student and a daughter of two immigrant parents.

“Let’s use this month as an opportunity to foster unity, break down barriers and open your hearts and minds to the beauty of diversity,” Carrillo said.

Jose Mundo, academic and career counselor for the College Assistance Migrant Program, shared Hispanic enrollment data from Spring 2023.

In the Spring 2023 semester, Fresno State Hispanic enrollment includes students from the following origins: Argentina, Chile, Columbia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Spain, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Central America, Peru, Puerto Rico and Venezuela.

Victor Torres, director of Los Danzantes de Aztlán, introduced the dancers as a demonstration of Mexican folklore as they entered the stage dressed in traditional Hispanic attire draped with colorful sarapes.

The women waved their red bandanas and tapped their shoes on the ground in unison, showcasing precise dancing executions.

Mariachi and tacos was the last part of “La Bienvenida.” Students grabbed tacos and horchata and enjoyed the performance of Mariachi Orgullo de Fresno State.

Phones were recording and cheers were yelled as many of the band members had solos and sang traditional mariachi songs.

The band performed four songs with the help of the crowd’s “gritos” to close out the event.

“Being Hispanic, Latina, means a lot because it’s full of culture,” said Gissell Altamirano, a sophomore Spanish major at Fresno State. “It’s something that just brings out and gets all of us together to celebrate our culture, our families and people who have passed away to keep their memory alive.”