This post was updated Feb. 8 at 10:51 p.m.

Tables of food, booths showcasing campus resources and music filled Sunset Village Plaza on Wednesday as part of Noche de Cultura.

Hosted by the Chicanx/Latinx Living Learning Community, the event aimed to celebrate and educate attendees about Latin American culture and history, according to an emailed statement from the LLC. Noche de Cultura originally emerged as the LLC’s signature event three years ago, when UCLA returned to in-person learning in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, said Karla Acuña, a lead resident assistant for the LLC.

“It was more of a passion project from the RAs,” Acuña said. “We just wanted to keep that going, especially with UCLA hopefully becoming an HSI (Hispanic-serving institution) in 2025.”

A team from the Chicanx/Latinx LLC worked together to plan Noche de Cultura, said Catalina Cruz, an RA for the community, adding that a group of volunteers also helped run the event.

While planning, the event’s organizers wanted to be sure to showcase the diversity that exists in Latin America, especially within the cultural backgrounds of the LLC’s residents, said Acuña, who is also a fourth-year anthropology student. For instance, they individually laminated and cut out flags from every Latin American country to hand out at the event, she added.

“I got excited that they had an Argentinian flag,” said third-year molecular, cell and developmental biology student Maria Caballero. “I feel represented somehow. People forget about my country.”

Acuña said the goal of inclusivity also extended to the food and performances at the event. The night included performances from groups such as Grupo Folklórico de UCLA and the Garifuna American Heritage Foundation United, as well as food such as plátanos fritos and tamales – all representing different parts of Latin America, she added.

At the event, there were also various booths advertising campus resources and groups, including the Latino Alumni Association, Afro-Latinx Connection and the Chicanx/Latinx LLC itself.

Diego Torres, a first-year political science student who lives in the LLC, said he felt welcomed by the booth representing the Chicana/o and Central American Studies department.

“It’s nice that someone else cares about me and wants me to do something that’s related to my field,” Torres said. “It just makes me feel like, ‘OK, I could do this. I’m not alone in this battle of college.’”

Second-year sociology student Ana Luviano also said the event made her feel like the school cares about her education, adding that people who are struggling can feel ignored when larger issues within the UC system, such as housing availability and affordability, are not always fully addressed.

Cruz, who is also a second-year atmospheric and oceanic sciences student, said the Chicanx/Latinx LLC may want to promote Noche de Cultura more in the future to further share the sense of community the event generates.

“It creates a space for new and returning Latinx students to feel represented on the Hill,” she said. “It just also attracts students to keep returning, to stay connected with the LLC, to realize that there’s people here to support them.”

The activities, decorations, music and food were comforting, and engaging with the event allowed first-year geography/environmental studies student Daniel Linares to share his culture with others and connect with people from similar backgrounds, he said.

“When you’re not home, it kind of makes you feel like you’re at home,” Linares said. “I’m happy that it (the event) happened – probably going to be one of my favorite memories of the quarter.”

Acuña added that the event, particularly the performance from Mariachi de Uclatlán, also allowed her an opportunity to connect with her family, with her mom saying she was proud her daughter was preserving her cultural heritage.

“My mom was starstruck hearing them, Mariachi de Uclatlán, because I was always talking to her about it,” she said. “It’s just heartwarming to see that interaction with something I knew I loved, so I’m glad everybody else liked it, too.”