Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month at OHS
From September 15th to October 15th, Americans recognize National Hispanic Heritage Month. This isn’t exactly a time to party, but a month for Americans to learn about and highlight the efforts and cultures of American citizens with ancestors from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, or South America. Hispanic Heritage Month intentionally starts on Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and El Salvador’s Independence Day (September 15). Furthermore, within the 30-day period, Mexico and Chile’s independence days and Columbus Day (Día de la Raza) are celebrated. The theme for the month in 2022 is “Unidos: Inclusivity for a Stronger Nation,” which promotes the idea that “diversity is [a] strength, and [the Hispanic community’s] contributions to the culture, the economy, and the future of [America] cannot be denied” (Kramer). Despite their contributions and influence as individuals and as a community, Hispanics in America are often neglected, underappreciated, or mistreated because of their race or culture. While it’s beneficial to use Hispanic Heritage Month to recognize well-known Hispanics like U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor or actress and singer Jennifer Lopez, it is also important to use this time especially to spotlight the Hispanic people in our own communities that are making a difference and showing pride in their culture. Perhaps most importantly, all people can participate in the message and goal of Hispanic Heritage Month, and anyone can be a Hispanic ally. The ways that people make the most of Hispanic Heritage Month include researching about the impact and history of Hispanic culture, icons, businesses, and traditions. The students and faculty of Stanford OHS are among the many people who are celebrating Hispanic heritage this month.
The first edition of the Dine and Dialogue I.D.E.A Series was about Hispanic Heritage Month and was hosted by the wonderful co-leaders of the OHS LatinX Student Alliance and Spanish Club, Pedro ’24 and Kiko ’24. This was a fun and informative event where participants shared some of their misconceptions about Hispanic Heritage as well as their experiences being a part of the Latinx and/or Hispanic community in America. In this meeting, we discussed topics like significant dates during Hispanic Heritage Month, the different meanings and origins of terms like Latino, Latina, and Hispanic, and how we can best participate in Hispanic Heritage Month, before playing a fun game of Hispanic Kahoot. Attendees also learned that people can choose to identify as Latinx or Hispanic and that celebrating Hispanic heritage by watching movies or TV shows that endorse stereotypical Hispanic tropes is harmful to the Hispanic community. According to Kiko, participating in Hispanic History Month may not be prevalent or a priority for many, but it is important because “there lacks a bit of consciousness on different racial and ethnic groups in general…and there [are] certain experiences that a lot of Hispanic people deal with in the United States that are worth noting.” Pedro adds that Hispanic Heritage Month is a time for people to “think about the history and culture of the U.S. and realize that it’s not all about the culture of the colonizer…but that there are also fundamental contributions from Hispanic and Latinx identifying people.”
The LatinX Student Alliance and Spanish Club is a relatively new club that is led by Kiko and Pedro. Interestingly, the club was originally two separate clubs that had different aims. However, last year, with the belief that “culture and language lie on one same spectrum,” Kiko, the leader of the LatinX Student Alliance Club, and Pedro, decided to combine the clubs while preserving the original purposes of each club. They have held meetings about Latinx representation in Hollywood, the common misconception that burritos are Mexican, and allyship. To represent both halves of the club, the meetings offer a variety of culture-related discussions and educational songs, sayings, or resources for Spanish learners. The LatinX Student Alliance and Spanish Club is mainly a place to “get to know Latinx communities, Latinx countries, cultures…[and] to be able to show people what the Latinx identity is about…but always in a fun way!” This is a club to foster allyship with the different associated communities and it is definitely a club for anyone and everyone. Their normal meeting times are Friday’s at 10:00 AM PST so be sure to see them then!
Sources:
Kramer, Patricia S. “Hispanic Heritage Month 2022.” National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2022, www.edi.nih.gov/people/sep/hispanics/campaign/hispanic-heritage-month-2022.