For Latino Heritage Month, Cafe Au Lait, a monthly multicultural talent show, is aiming to educate and entertain.

Two groups are scheduled to perform at the first Cafe Au Lait in the M-Shop on Tuesday.

Raices Latinas, meaning Latin roots, will perform traditional folk dances from various South American countries at the beginning of the night.

Gabriel Benitez, president of the Latino Heritage Month Committee and Raices Latinas, says he first got involved because of the various activities offered during the month.

“I wanted to broaden my experiences with the many cultures of the Latino countries,” says Benitez, senior in industrial technology.

Cilia Maria Ruiz-Paz, vice president of the Latino Heritage Month Committee and dancer for Raices Latinas, says the group is one of the largest representing Latinos on campus.

“Our dance group is strictly voluntary and anybody who wishes to participate in the group is welcome to do so,” says Ruiz-Paz, sophomore in psychology.

“All we need is a love for the music, a little discipline and a strong commitment.”

She says Latino Heritage Month is a time when people can embrace their heritage and share it with those who may be unfamiliar with it.

“We all feel love, admiration and pride for our countries and heritage, and we all wish to share it with the world,” she says.

Latino Heritage Month is not only open to those proud of their Latin heritage, but is offered to everyone who wants to learn about Latin culture.

“Our organization is focused on diminishing racism and teaching tolerance, advocating education and, most importantly, reducing ignorance,” Ruiz-Paz says.

“It is important that we are all educated and that we all support each other so as to eliminate racism.”

Also performing at Cafe Au Lait will be the Descarga Latin Dance Club.

Descarga is an organization that promotes the “awareness, knowledge, appreciation and practice of salsa.”

The group will be teaching the audience how to salsa.

Anthony Persaud, president of Descarga, says he has been involved in the organization for more than a year.

His group has been teaching salsa dancing for more than three years in Ames.

“Latino Heritage Month is a way for us to showcase the Latino/Hispanic culture to the community in a form of combining education and entertainment,” says Persaud, graduate student in electrical and computer engineering.

Erin Hughes, multicultural director for the Student Union Board, says she wanted to create a Latino cultural mosaic for the first Cafe Au Lait.

“Such events have great educational potential for those people who wish to come and step outside their comfort zones and have a good time,” says Hughes, junior in anthropology.

During the summer, Hughes planned various activities to represent cultural heritage months throughout the year.

“In the case of SUB multicultural programming, collaboration is key, and developing honest working relationships with and among different multicultural organizations takes time,” she says.

“However, the end result is hopefully an event that has true meaning.”

As for Tuesday evening, Hughes says a good gathering would be approximately 50 to 100 people.

“The number in attendance doesn’t define a successful event,” she says.

“The effect it has on those who attend does.”