Hispanic Heritage Month is widely celebrated around the world and in the U.S. due to the large hispanic population. It begins September 15 and ends October 15, and is an honorable celebration for Hispanics and Latinos all around the world and is extremely important to their culture and history.
There are even many different celebrations of Hispanic Heritage Month here at RV.
Due to the growing population of Hispanic and Latinos in America, our culture has been influenced in numerous ways, from food to entertainment and music to businesses, branding and sports.
“Looking at something as simple as the music, when you’re looking at top hits in the past several years, you’ll notice that the majority are latino artists,” said RV Spanish teacher Mrs. Ochoa, “So not only do we have latinos living in the U.S. that are understanding Spanish music, but you have people in the United States who don’t understand everything that is being said, yet they are able to vibe with the music”.
Art also had a big influence along with music.
“If you take a look at [Hispanic] influence in art,” said Principal and former Spanish teacher Mr.Martin,” you have people like Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí, Joan Miró and Diego Velázquez that are incredible Spanish painters from Spain that have influenced different world views.”
Despite celebration seemingly lasting only one out of the year, Hispanics and Latinos at RV recognized everyday.
“I created a course here at RV called Latino studies so I could highlight and celebrate [Hispanics and Latinos] every single day by promoting the class and by showcasing it,” Mrs. Rivera, the Latino studies teacher at RV said. “I try to make it better with every semester so hopefully I get to have a lot of different RV students participate in the course and learn about Latin American heritage.”
It’s not just the students that implement their Hispanic heritage at RV, but it is the teachers as well. Teachers of Hispanic and non-Hispanic backgrounds that mention Hispanics or Latinos as they teach are infusing their lessons with information that carry on the culture. Students are then able to learn and appreciate the importance of the culture.
Mr. Martin believes that teaching about Hispanic heritage is extremely important for students of all backgrounds.
“I believe that for any individual, knowing your roots is critical because it’s who you are,” he said. “I think that when we talk about hispanic heritage, it is a loaded word. It is everything about you, your ethnicity, your heritage, your cultural values, and I think that it’s so important for everyone to get in touch with themselves. I would not have been a Spanish teacher today unless I reflected on my heritage, my values, my language, food, dance, music, and all that kind of stuff. Students embracing their heritage is crucial for defining who they are as a person.”
Not only does learning about the heritage of Hispanics and Latinos help students identify themselves, but it makes them proud to have hispanic background.
“I think Hispanic Heritage Month is important because it highlights the cultural traditions and the contributions that Latinos have made to the country,” said Mrs. Rivera. “I also think it gives a sense of pride to all those Latin American students that we have here at RV and their heritage.”
Learning about their heritage shows students how their countries came to be and the accomplishments made along the way.
“The importance of Hispanic heritage month is to show the accomplishments of Latinos in the United States,” said Mrs. Ochoa.
