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National Hispanic Heritage Month kicked off Sept. 15 and continues through Oct. 15, and perhaps nowhere else in the nation is this heritage displayed more proudly and reverently than New Mexico.

But we as New Mexicans can do more.

As President Barack Obama noted in a Sept. 15 proclamation of the month from the White House, "Hispanics have always been integral to our national story. America is a richer and more vibrant country because of the contributions of Hispanics, and during National Hispanic Heritage Month, we celebrate the immeasurable impact they have made on our nation."

The president also mentioned in the proclamation that "Our country thrives on the diversity and ingenuity of all our people," and the Land of Enchantment reflects that.

I grew up in Santa Fe in the mid-1950s and 1960s, and the city was very unlike what it is today. It was not yet a premier tourist destination or world-class art and culture center; it was pretty insular. Through the eyes of a child, it was a quiet, racially homogenous town.

When I arrived as a student at New Mexico State University in 1969, a whole new world opened up. It looked like the United Nations to me. People of every race, background and religion were next to me in class and in the dormitories. Even Hispanics from other parts of New Mexico arrived with different views and a life different from my own.

We know about ethnic and cultural diversity, but we also should consider diversity of thought, ideas and heart. If universities are a modern crossroads of diverse people, ideas and thought, then we should be creating an environment that challenges and transforms the hearts, minds and actions of its members. Without diversity the university does not reflect, or relate to, society at large.

I commend NMSU president Barbara Couture for recognizing diversity as a key to success, to "strengthen our commitment to diversity of faculty, staff and students, anchoring our path to excellence in an unwavering commitment to access and tolerance." NMSU has risen to the challenge of meeting -- and exceeding -- this goal. READ MORE