If you look around our community you will see a variety of flags beginning to rise, food being prepared, and communities uniting. It is all in preparation for Hispanic Heritage Month, where it gives the Hispanic community a chance to shine through.
Hispanic Heritage Month was originally a week-long celebration back in 1968. Until 1989 when Congress took action and extended it to a full month (Sep. 15 – Oct. 15) picking Sep. 15 as the start day because it is the anniversary of multiple Latin American countries (Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Costa Rica) gaining independence with Mexico and Chile following.
Spanish teacher Agustin Hernandez explains that we are teaching the new generations about their heritage and the pride that they should have in being Hispanic.
“It’s important to say your identity because it’s a base to be able to face those obstacles and challenges that you will face in the future,” Hernandez said.
Although it can be difficult to keep in touch with one’s own culture while having other influences, it does not mean your roots are automatically pulled out. The common battle of ‘I am not Hispanic enough’ or ‘I am not American enough’ causes a strain on one’s perspective of themselves that later results in the feeling of imposter syndrome especially, during adolescent years.
However, this month provides an opportunity to learn more about Hispanic culture not only for non-Hispanics but for those who feel out of touch with their identity too.
“We have a big school, it’s a super multicultural school, we have representation of many different cultures and all those cultures should feel that they are represented in every aspect of their school life,” Metea Valley’s Merit school counselor and OLAS sponsor Javier Polavieja stated.
Metea Valley is a melting pot of a wide variety of cultures. Hispanics make up 13.5% of that demographic, yet with that percentage, students can still have a hard time finding someone they can relate to. Luckily, Metea’s diversity is not only within their student but with their clubs as well. OLAS (Organization of Latin American Students) welcomes all students who are open to learning more about Hispanic culture with hands-on activities, volunteer work, and more. Being around students who share similar backgrounds brings out that ability to be comfortable in your skin.
“I wish they knew how diverse we are. We are very different not to say our differences divide us, but actually they bring us together,” Hernandez said. “We have so many similarities yet we celebrate our differences.
