STONY BROOK, N.Y. — A university-record 2,348 undergraduate students who identify as Hispanic or Latino were enrolled at Stony Brook last academic year.

Stony Brook Athletics proudly celebrates their heritage during the next month.

Latinx Heritage Month, also known as Hispanic Heritage Month, began on Tuesday and runs through Oct. 15.

Stony Brook Athletics will spotlight student-athletes in a video series throughout the month, beginning with men's soccer junior midfielder Jack Valderrabano and women's basketball senior forward India Pagan this week.



Valderrabano's parents were born in Mexico and moved to New York City, where he was born.

"We celebrate all the Mexican holidays … such as Cinco de Mayo, Día de los Muertos," Valderrabano said.

Pagan's parents were born in Puerto Rico and she was raised in Connecticut. Pagan has represented Puerto Rico in international basketball competitions.

"Ever since I was little, Spanish was my first language, because they would talk at home and everything," Pagan said. "I would go to Puerto Rico every single year ever since I was little."

President Lyndon Johnson helped initiate what has evolved into a month-long celebration in 1968 when he signed a proclamation calling "attention of my fellow citizens to the great contribution to our national heritage made by our people of Hispanic descent — not only in the fields of culture, business, and science, but also through their valor in battle."

The current month-long celebration often is referred to as Hispanic Heritage Month. But Latinx Heritage Month is becoming more commonly used, according to the Human Rights Campaign, "to represent the identities of non-binary, gender non-conforming and gender-expansive people. 'Latinx' also centers the lives of indigenous, Brazilian and other non-Spanish speaking people in this celebration."