September is Hispanic Heritage Month. There were many events hosted by Cerritos College that allowed students to explore the world of Hispanic art, history and culture.

Professor Walter Fernandez hosted this presentation about Mexico’s Independence Day for Hispanic Heritage Month on Sept. 12.

The presentation was made into a Powerpoint that had short descriptions of each part in the history, and Fernandez told in even more detail of what had happened.

According to Fernandez, he has been showing this presentation for about 13 years.

He wanted to explain Mexico’s independence day because there are a lot of misconceptions about the actual facts about it.

He believes that every story has a lesson that portrays today and wanted to get the word out. It is something he said he is passionate about and Hispanic Heritage Month is the best time to do this.

On one of the slides, it said that in 1700’s Spanish America, there were many problems with the wealthy family called the Bourbon Kings, who had the church have processing fees, but there were also revolutions.

According to Fernandez, the French Revolution inspired these rebellions. Even as they helped, they decided to re-enslave them for their own purposes, and that was what triggered these rebellions, Fernandez said.

On Sept. 16, 1810, there was a rebellion, in a town called Grito De Delores, that was first made up of three plotters: a Spanish priest named Father Hidalgo, three army men, and a couple named Dominguez.

They went up against the Spanish Viceroy, and the priest made a speech about the Spanish king.

There is still uncertainty about what the priest said today and it appealed to the people. But the people could not be withheld and it ended in a massacre at Guanajuato.

People were scared and blamed Hidalgo for it, and then the Viceroy’s army captured him and others and were defeated and executed.

It was after Hidalgo’s death, that his student, Morelos, began another revolt and decided to do better than Hidalgo. Morelos also had the land divided from the poor.

In the end, he was defeated as well, Fernandez presented.

But, he was helped by a group of women who used to spy on Spanish soldiers and would transport weapons in secret. And 52-year-old Gertrudis Bocanegra was the most rebellious of everyone, but was caught and executed by firing squad.

“The theme is what’s most important in this part of history,” Guadalupe Pene, a woman and gender studies major, said.

Those were some of the major parts of history that was presented. And on Sept. 16, 1810, Mexico had won their independence.

There are also other events during October for Cerritos College.