Empire State University Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month Through Panel Discussions

Each year since 1988, the United States observes Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15—a time to celebrate the Hispanic cultures and identities that have contributed to the country’s diverse population, society, and economy. Over the past month, Empire State University’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ODEI) partnered with the Office of Academic Affairs and the team behind the university’s Spanish-language Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree to host a series of educational online panels for staff, faculty, and students.

“Hispanic Heritage Month provided a timely platform for these discussions, but this work continues to happen all year. We hope these conversations will serve as the beginning of a broader, ongoing dialogue about language equity and accessibility throughout the university,” says Ade Byron, ODEI program manager.

“From different angles, the three panels emphasized the complexity of becoming fluent in a second language and its cultures, describing the process as a life-long endeavor,” says Silvia Mejía, director of Spanish-language programs and moderator of the first panel, “Spanish: One Language, Multiple Cultures.”

The first event, which was held on Monday, September 15, also served as the ODEI’s September Reason & Respect event. It featured Lorette Calix, academic director of the Dominican Republic dual degree program, Luis Camacho, academic coordinator for the Spanish BBA, and Diana Siberio-Pérez, associate professor of science, math, and technology. Together, they dissected how the pedagogy and curriculum of SUNY Empire’s new Spanish BBA is representative of the multicultural richness of the Spanish-speaking world.

“This discussion demonstrated, in my view, that even when teaching and learning mathematics, for instance, cultural differences are being accounted for in the content, so that students can see themselves reflected in the course and engage with the material being taught,” notes Mejía.

On Thursday, September 25, the second panel, “Voice for All: Translation as Accessibility,” took place. Panelists included Pam Doran, digital accessibility and multilingual technology coordinator, Perla Zamitiz, linguist, and Claire Ziamandanis, linguist. The event, moderated by Catalina Irigoyen, bilingual communications specialist, tackled matters of machine translation as accessibility and addressed the linguistic nuances that only human linguists and translators can parse through. “The ‘human in the loop’ makes sure our students are not left wondering, ‘Huh?’” Ziamandanis puts simply.

Real examples taken from the development of bilingual wraparound services across the university illustrated how a combination of artificial intelligence translation and human supervision best covers the language needs of Empire State University and its students.

“Our goal is not only accessibility, but also creating a sense of belonging for those who may feel somewhat on the outside due to a lower confidence level when speaking English,” says Ziamandanis.

The final panel, “The Road to Fluency: Our Language Learning Journey” took place on Thursday, October 9, with participation from Melissa Fiori, digital accessibility instructional designer, Joanne Kramer, assistant professor, TESOL & bilingual coordinator, Irene Oramas Sosa, bilingual multimedia technologist, and Jorge Muñoz, director of internationalization at Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia. Moderator Liv Thygesen, a bilingual disability specialist at SUNY Empire, prompted panelists to share their expertise in navigating the complexities of learning a new language.

Kramer opened up about the reality of language loss in her life after moving and inhabiting English-dominant spaces: “I feel that in early childhood I was a balanced bilingual, but I think through time … English became the dominant one [over Spanish]. For me, it’s really about continuing the practice … bringing myself back is a helpful factor.”

Muñoz echoed the sentiment, though his experience with language loss frustration stemmed from realizing he had become Spanish-dominant and was having trouble with English. “The only way you’re going to acquire the language is by using it,” he says, adding, “I started to put myself in situations where I had to speak it whether or not I felt confident.”

Attendees were given the opportunity to ask questions at the end of each panel, which raised further discussion regarding language learning, multilingualism, and the value of human translation in an increasingly technological world, providing space to honor the nuances of living life in more than one language.

“While language may not always be the first consideration in conversations about equity and access, it plays a vital role in opening doors to higher education for individuals who might otherwise be excluded. These events have provided space for meaningful dialogue- allowing students, faculty, and staff to engage, ask questions, and explore how we can better support our multilingual community,” says Ade Byron, ODEI program manager.