Austin Community College (ACC) celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with its 11th annual Díez y Seis event Monday, September 17, from noon to 1 p.m. at Riverside Campus (1020 Grove Blvd.). 

Former Texas Senator Gonzalo Barrientos, who served in the Texas legislature from 1975 to 2007, will serve as special guest speaker. 

“As one of the first Mexican-Americans to represent Travis County in the Texas Legislature, Barrientos is credited with helping pave the way for Latinos in local, state, and national politics,” says Peck Young, ACC Center for Public Policy & Political Studies (CPPPS) director.

The cultural celebration commemorates Mexico’s declaration of independence and Texas’ first Independence Day. The honorable Barrientos and historians will pay tribute to the cultural, historical, and political contributions Tejanos, Mexican-Americans, and other Hispanics.

Guests also will enjoy traditional food, along with live music from Johnny Degollado y su Conjunto, and the rhythmic steps of Roy Lozano’s Ballet Folklorico.

The event, presented by the CPPPS, is free and open to the public.

For more information, visit austincc.edu/cppps or call 512-223-6360.