Hispanic Heritage Month Poetry Writing Challenge

Sigma Tau Delta is thrilled to partner with the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) for a dynamic Poetry Writing Challenge in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month 2024.

LULAC is dedicated to advancing the economic, educational, political, housing, health, and civil rights of the Hispanic community in the United States. Sigma Tau Delta and LULAC are empowering student members to delve deep into the rich tapestry of Hispanic identity. Through this collaboration, all student members of the Sigma Tau Delta community will become more aware of the need to celebrate cultural identities and heritage, explore and reflect upon their own insights and experiences, and craft their own narratives that celebrate and reflect the diversity of the Hispanic experience. LULAC is officially sponsoring Natalie Diaz's convention appearance and offering Hispanic Sigma Tau Delta student members the opportunity to attend their LULAC Academy event.

Our Poetry Writing & Performance Challenge draws inspiration from Natalie Diaz’s first collection When My Brother Was an Aztec (2012). A MacArthur Grant and Pulitzer Prize-winning poet of Mojave and Mexican descent, Diaz’s work resonates with raw honesty and explores themes of cultural identity, language, and personal struggles. From her upbringing in the Mojave Valley to the collegiate and professional basketball court, from an observer of family struggle to a prize-winning creative writer, Diaz's journey is constantly inspiring and transformative.

Join us as we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month by embracing Diaz’s profound exploration of heritage, identity, and human experience. Let your voice be heard through poetry, honoring the spirit of creativity and cultural expression. Together, we’re shaping a narrative that echoes the vibrancy and resilience of Hispanic communities and cultural identities across the nation and beyond.

Read more about Natalie Diaz.

2024 Winners

Chantelle Natalie Flores
"De México"
Rho Chi Chapter
University of Maine, ME

Karolyne Ochoa
"My Grandpa Said"
Rho Omega Chapter
University of Houston, Clear Lake, TX

Joe Lozano
"La sanadora"
Omega Epsilon Chapter
Texas State University, TX

Leslie Rico
"¿Quien es ella?"
Alpha Epsilon Tau Chapter
Azusa Pacific University, CA

Read: 2024 Winning Poems