Event will be at Riverside Campus and is free and open to public

Austin, September 9, 2008 – Austin Community College will host a Diez y Seis de Septiembre celebration at its Riverside Campus, 1020 Grove Blvd., Tuesday, September 16, from noon to 1 p.m.

The event commemorates the monumental liberation of Mexico’s Independence from Spain. The college hosts the event to further educate the community about the historical holiday and to celebrate the rich heritage, history, and culture of Mexico.

ACC’s Center for Public Policy & Political Studies (CPPPS), the Latino/Latin American Studies Center (El Centro), the Student Success Office, and the Honorable Gonzalo Barrientos, former Texas senator who represented Travis County from 1975 – 2007, are sponsoring the event.

“It is altogether fitting that our country celebrates events of freedom anytime anywhere,” said Barrientos.  “I am proud to be a part of bringing this annual celebration to the college’s Riverside Campus.”

“Diez y Seis is more than Mexican Independence Day. It is Texas history and the history of many people who are part of this community,” said Peck Young, director of CPPPS. 

The event is free and open to the public, and will feature speeches from local historians, music and dance by Mariachi Cocula, Roy Lozano’s Ballet Folklórico de Texas, Johnny Degollado y Su Conjunto, and a special performance by ACC’s own Boca Abajo.

“It’s important that ACC continues to outreach to the community and promote cultural understanding; we plan on making this a part of ACC for many years to come,” added Young.

For more information about the celebration, please call (512) 223.7049, or visit www.austincc.edu/cppps  or www.austincc.edu/elcentro.