The festivities kicked off in Wileety Native College<\/a> with a land acknowledgement and presentation led by HSI Director<\/a> Lilia Contreras Ramirez and education professor Amber Gonzalez. They spoke about Sac State\u2019s history as a HSI and the current Latine population present on campus.\u00a0<\/p>\n Related: Sac State\u2019s new HSI Director leads with service and dedication<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI think a lot of people actually don\u2019t know what an HSI is and what it entails, not just on the student-facing thing, but the role that HSIs play in institutional work and building institutional infrastructure for universities,\u201d Ramirez said.\u00a0<\/p>\n They also highlighted the work that still needs to be done in order to create a support system that allows Latine students to thrive.\u00a0<\/p>\n Following the presentation, the audience was invited to the library quad with the \u2018SOMOS<\/a> Fair and Activities.\u2019 During this time, the Chicanx and Latinx Studies<\/a> department hosted a \u2018Cafe Con Pan Dulce Social Hour,\u2019 decorated to commemorate the campus\u2019s Latine communities.\u00a0<\/p>\n Booths filled the library quad providing information about Latine-led clubs and artists sold and showcased their art. Mexican candies and snacks were also given out for free, bringing students a taste of cultural nostalgia.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztl\u00e1n<\/a> club held a booth to educate participants about their activism, movements and the importance of Latine cultural space. Thalia Ansaldo, a psychology major and a board member of MEChA spoke about the isolation she felt in her first year before finding the club, and how important these events and spaces are for students finding their place.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel like it\u2019s really important especially for those first year and transfer students who want to be a part of something, and be a part of a community that they\u2019re already familiar with,\u201d Ansaldo said.<\/p>\n This sentiment was shared by artists<\/a> like liberal studies major Sarah Guadagnolo, and Rosa Angelica Sarabia and her husband, alumnus Antonio Sarabia, who were all chosen to create a mural on campus. Guadagnolo said she creates art that showcases her heritage, with her art piece, \u201cEternal Bond,\u201d symbolizing holding on to one\u2019s grief and the generational trauma that is passed down through many Hispanic families. She emphasizes how impactful it is to display proper representation through artistic expression and the power it has to expand people\u2019s perspectives of the community.\u00a0<\/p>\n Sarabia emphasized the significance of artistic representation within the community, as she shared her experience growing up in a migrant neighborhood that lacked cultural exposure.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s super important especially at the university level to have this kind of representation,\u201d Sarabia said. \u201cEspecially for Latinos feeling like they not only belong here but are celebrated, that they are here and contributing in a positive way.\u201d<\/p>\n Amongst the fair, the Mariachi Los Avispones<\/a>, a dedicated mariachi club on campus, made their debut to the Sac State community. Jonathan Saya Gonzalez, a business major and founding member of Mariachi Los Avispones, described their initiative of providing a cultural outlet and how the HSI event supported them in achieving this community.\u00a0<\/p>\n President Luke Wood was also in attendance at the fair and gave a speech recognizing the accomplishments of HSI, highlighting the fact that Sac State just reached the highest graduation rate for Latine students in its 80 year history as a university.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe actually have a mission focus at Sacramento State on serving Latine students,\u201d Wood said. \u201cThat makes us one of only a handful of campuses in the entire country.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The event concluded with the decade of servingness panel, where a conversation was led discussing HSI\u2019s past, but more importantly how current priorities could be shifted to better serve those who\u2019ve been traditionally underserved. The panel was made up of people who witnessed and contributed to the history of HSI at Sac State including Ramirez alongside Nancy Huante-Tzintzun, Andres Enriquez, Melisa Repa and Manuel Barajas.\u00a0<\/p>\n The panel emphasized the need for a campus-wide conversation about frustrations with the institutions, the past of systematic exclusion and importance for more non-tokenized representation. Barajas pointed out that many of those in power are detached from the student life, specifically the Latine community, making it harder for them to understand the struggles they face and how to support them. Students were urged to learn more about these issues and become more vocal themselves about current needs and whether or not the academic institution meets them.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt helps preserve our culture and roots, especially now during these difficult times,\u201d Saya Gonzalez said. \u201cIt\u2019s important to keep our pride and just overall be out there and push ourselves out there as a culture.\u201d<\/p>\n ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/SarahGuadagnoloboothGabrielSolis-600x400.jpg\")
Sarah Guadagnolo, a liberal studies major and artist, sells and displays her work to attendees of the Hispanic-Serving Institute 10-year anniversary event on Thursday, Feb. 26. Guadagnolo said her art piece, \u201cEternal Bond,\u201d reflects her heritage. (Gabriel Solis<\/a>)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Mariachi-Pic-1-600x399.jpeg\")
Mariachi Los Avispones made their debut in Sacramento State\u2019s library quad on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026. The mariachi opened their performance with \u2018El Rey\u2019 by Vincente Fern\u00e1ndez. (Gabriel Solis<\/a>)<\/p>\n