Metea Valley hosted its annual Hispanic Heritage Month presentations in the library yesterday. This past week, students walking into or through the library were able to see descriptions of famous Latinos since their pictures were placed on the side of the library. They also got to see the words “somos Latinos” which translates to “we’re Latinos” along the windows. National Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates the culture and history of the Hispanic and Latino communities. Students also had the opportunity to listen to guest speakers, who all had different stories to share on how their culture shaped them to be the person that they have become today.

Author Claudia Martinez said, “I write Latino stories not just because of my background but also because as a kid I didn’t see a lot of books with Latino characters,” author Claudia Martinez said. 

Martinez was one of the many guest speakers at Metea and she shared how she wants other people to relate to her books. She aims to be a mirror for people with the same background as her and she hopes to see more Latino involvement in the writing world. 

Another guest speaker, Delia Nila Basile, gave a presentation on her family history and what brought them to Aurora. Basile’s family was one of the first Hispanic families to come to Aurora. She explained how her family received discrimination in their community as newcomers.    

Basile’s ancestors worked in building railroads, which lead her family to live in boxcars, so they wouldn’t have to travel far to work. She was very passionate about her family history and proud to be a Hispanic descendant.

“We have to learn to be proud of where we came from. I think you can do that once you know who you are,” Basile said.