AACC is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15.

Included among the month’s events is an art exhibit titled “Finding Home,” featuring the work of Wilfredo Valladares Lara, AACC’s department chair for visual arts and humanities. The showing, at Maryland Hall, will end on Nov. 2.

Students may join a bus trip to the exhibit on Oct. 13 from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m.

Other events include an exhibit in the Truxal Library through Oct. 15, called “Our America: The Latinx Influence in the Arts,” which features literature from Latinx and Caribbean artists and writers.

Another exhibit, “Perspectivas Latinas,” is a showing of a private collection of works by Latinx and Caribbean artists. The exhibit, which Valladares curated, will show in the Pascal Center for Performing Arts through Oct. 15

Then, on Oct. 12, students can take salsa and merengue lessons from dance instructors Maria Lelendez and Jean-Pierre Laurenceau from 2-3 p.m. in the Student Union cafeteria.

Students said celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month is important.

“I feel like the more you know about a culture, the more educated you are [and] the easier it is for inclusion and acceptance in less hostile environments.” Jessica Foster, a fourth-year nursing student, said.

Valladares, who is organizing the month’s events, said the celebration is an opportunity for students to understand the Hispanic culture through food, art and literature. Valladares pointed to the “huge collection” of Latin American literature and art that the Truxal Library is highlighting during the month.

“I would say that it is an opportunity for students to learn more about the culture [and] the tradition,” Valladares said.

Reporter Phillip Michaels contributed to this article