King County Executive Dow Constantine has proclaimed the month beginning Sept. 15 “Latinx/Hispanic Heritage Month” in King County. View the official proclamation here.

National Latinx and Hispanic Heritage Month is observed Sept. 15-Oct. 15 in the United States, Canada, and Latin America. This month is an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the long, important presence and contributions of Hispanic and Latino and Latina (Latinx) Americans. More than 62 million people of Latinx ancestry live in the United States, with almost 220,000 calling King County home.

To commemorate the celebration, the King County Latinx Affinity Group (KCLx) in collaboration with Sound Transit Latinx in Transportation and Seattle Department of Transportation Latinx Caucus for Latinx/Hispanic Heritage Month has provided a list of events. It includes a few public community events. For more information, view the detailed list here.

Upcoming 2021 Latinx/Hispanic Heritage Month events

“What does LATINX mean to you?” Art Contest

Sept. 15 – Oct. 15

To kickoff Latinx/Hispanic Heritage Month, KCLx is launching this contest event to showcase your unique interpretations of Latinx/o, Chicanx/o, and Hispanic identity. We all share common stories (culture, heritage, traditions, etc.) but how is your story read? Submit your art pieces to Diego Galvan at diego.galvan@kingcounty.gov. Art contest submissions will be accepted from Sept. 15-Oct. 8, and will be placed on display in the virtual KCLx Art Gallery. The top 3 submissions/winners, selected by the KCLx Leadership Committee, will be announced on Oct. 15, and win a gift card prize. See flyer for more details. This showcase is organized by King County. Contact: Diego Galvan, diego.galvan@kingcounty.gov or Margarita Aguado, maguado@kingcounty.gov

Sea Mar Virtual Fiestas Patrias

Friday, Sept. 18 at noon

Check out the digital premiere of Sea Mar’s 2021 Celebration Video with presentations from Chile, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, and Chicano Culture. Hosted by Sea Mar Community Health Centers.

Filantropía para la Justicia Social – Social Justice Giving

Wednesday, Sept. 22 from 6-8 p.m.

Join the Latino Community Fund and Social Justice Fund for an interactive, cross-class workshop held in Spanish for people who identify as Black, Indigenous, people of color and/or immigrant and refugee. They will dive into how many of us already give, what strategic social justice giving is, and outline a framework that uncovers how our communities have and continue to resource ourselves. Hosted by the Latino Community Fund and Social Justice Fund. Register here.

A Discussion with Hispanic Women Leaders

Thursday, Sept. 23 from 5-6:15 p.m.

Please join the Center for Women and Democracy (CWD) for a conversation on how to harness the power of women across Washington State to create a just and equal future for all women. For the September event they will discuss the needs and concerns of Hispanic women and how their issues impact us all. Hosted by CWD. Register here.

Virtual Tour: Sea Mar Museum of Chicano/a Latino/a Culture

Thursday, Sept. 30 from noon to 1 p.m.

Celebrate Latinx Heritage Month with the KCLx Affinity Group by joining us for a virtual tour of the Sea Mar Museum of Chicano/a/Latino/a Culture. Opened in October 2019 in the South Park neighborhood of Seattle, the museum showcases the rich history of Chicano/as and Latino/as from the 1940s to present time. Dr. Jerry Garcia, Vice President of Educational Services for Sea Mar, will lead the tour. Hosted by King County. Contact: Margarita Aguado maguado@kingcounty.gov or Sabrina Torres, satorres@kingcounty.gov. Join via Zoom. Use passcode: 883797.

KCLx Cafecito

Monday, Oct. 4 from noon to 1 p.m.

King County employees who self-identify as Latinx, please join us for our bi-monthly virtual cafecitos! These casual meetings are meant to be a time to catch up with or get to know each other, share some virtual café y pan dulce, and have a little break during our hectic workdays. Contact Margarita Aguado or Sabrina Torres to receive the calendar series hold. Hosted by King County. Contact: Margarita Aguado, maguado@kingcounty.gov or Sabrina Torres, satorres@kingcounty.gov.

Q3 POCA/ERG Meeting hosted by Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) Latinx Caucus

Tuesday, Oct. 5 from noon to 1:30 p.m.

As part of Hispanic Month celebration (Sept/Oct), Latinx caucus will be hosting the Q3 meeting for People of Color Advancement (POCA)/employee resource group (ERG).  This event includes guest speaker, Barbie-Danielle DeCarlo and a Jeopardy game! Hosted by SDOT. Contact: Lorena Ware, Lorena.Ware@seattle.gov.

La Importancia de los Programas de Acceso al Lenguaje y el Bilingüismo

Thursday, Oct. 7 from noon to 1:30 p.m.

Join KCLx and the King County’s Department of Public Health for this interactive informational about our COVID-19 Language Access Team. This event will be an opportunity to have a relevant conversation about the importance of language access equity and the celebration of bilingualism in the communities we serve. Hosted by King County.
Contact: Margarita Aguado, maguado@kingcounty.gov or Sabrina Torres, satorres@kingcounty.gov.

For more events, please visit the KCLx website at www.kingcounty.gov/latinx.