How WGHS Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month

Hispanic Heritage Month is a national holiday that celebrates and recognizes the millions of Hispanic/Latino Americans who contribute to the United States' culture and history. Spanning from September 15 to October, the holiday also celebrates the independence of several Latin American countries.

Mrs. Bailey:
Mrs. Bailey says she celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with her students with various activities surrounding the holiday. “We are starting off, or started off, with a quick little introduction PowerPoint with 10 different things that Latinos have contributed to the world. So, that gives them a look at everyday things that they have, like barbecue, the names of cowboys, etc.”

Mrs. Bailey emphasizes the importance that students acknowledge the contributions that Hispanics have made to society, as well as “the importance of respecting cultures and traditions, and being able to integrate it into everyday life.” She finishes off by mentioning a food day in class. “Students usually have to choose a country and research that country. Research the dish, learn how to make the dish, and bring it in. So now, you're showing off a country, the culture, and variations. And of course, you get to eat your food!” Mrs. Bailey says that the food day is the most successful in engaging students with the history and culture of Hispanics/Latinos.

Dr. Holder:
Dr. Holder emphasized the meaning of Hispanic Heritage Month and how it is celebrated throughout Latin America, as well as its historical roots in their fight for independence. “It's not one day, and it represents the first in a wave of declarations of independence. So we celebrate over the course of a month, because it happened at all different times.” She too is planning a wide variety of engaging activities for her students, such as doing paintings of famous artists, piñatas, and of course, discussing the cultures and the identities.

Finally, Dr. Holder highlights how it is important to recognize personal cultures. “One thing that I really enjoy is asking people to think about their own culture, because I think we're all guilty of assuming, like, for example, I don't have any culture because it's like the fish and water thing, like the fish doesn't know it's in water because it's just in water.” Dr. Holder makes a connection with American traditions like this weekend’s homecoming to other traditions. “Homecoming is a cultural celebration that we do in the American South that doesn't exist in other places, or a Sweet 16 party or a Bar/Bat Mitzvah, and a Quinceañera, you make all those kinds of cool connections.”

To celebrate this Hispanic Heritage Month, you can engage with Hispanic culture in many ways, like listening to Hispanic music, trying different Latin American dishes or supporting Hispanic-owned businesses!