Seanna Spickler, Freshman
Though the Covid-19 pandemic brought many challenges, Hispanic Heritage Month is still celebrated—as vibrant as ever. This September, Hispanic Heritage Month, its message, and its celebrations extend beyond the month itself, making a larger impact on all Americans than before.
When it was first established, Hispanic Heritage Month was just a week-long celebration. The purpose was to celebrate diverse people of a Hispanic culture, who have served in the United States Army, such as those from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. The week-long observation was later changed to a month in 1988, when Ronald Reagan established the month. The purpose then changed to celebrate not only those who served in the Army, but countries that had won independence from Spain, namely Mexico, Belize, and Chile.
Today, Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates all people of Hispanic heritage. Celebrations and activities include festivals, art shows, classes, and even dance lessons. To celebrate you can have gatherings with friends and family sharing traditional foods, having a good time together, and telling stories.
Art plays an important role in celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. At El Museo Del Barrio, located in East Harlem, New York City—a historically Hispanic neighborhood, there is an art exhibit that displays the art of Hispanic artists. The display includes art about the pandemic, art with unusual materials and flags of Latin countries, as well as other forms of contemporary art. Within the exhibit’s wide range of art, Hispanic artists and their experiences are featured.
The impact of Hispanic Heritage Month is also seen in classrooms across the nation. In schools, students often learn about Hispanic Heritage Month, the history and contributions of Hispanic people in this country. This type of instruction is usually limited only to the month itself. However, students at North Garland High School, in Texas, are engaging in learning about Hispanic cultures year round. The students still learn about commonly covered events in American history, but with the added perspective of Hispanic Americans. Students even learn about the impacts of Hispanic Americans on our country’s history. Because of this, Hispanic students get to learn more about their culture. This idea keeps the students engaged in school and about what they are learning, because it represents them and their culture, and the parents think it’s a great idea too.
People also celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with traditional Hispanic dances and dance classes. These include the Bachata which is mainly a four-step dance from left and right, during which you can add turns, lifts, dips, and other moves into it. You have to use your hips to sway back and forth so you don’t look stiff, and usually done with a partner. Salsa is also similar in swaying your hips, but the foot movement is a little bit faster, and the turns are a bit sharper. People can go to local dance studios to take some lessons specific to Latin dances during Hispanic Heritage Month.
While Hispanic Heritage Month is coming to a close, its impact spans past September.
Sources:
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/north-garland-high-school-honor-222500026.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Hispanic_Heritage_Month
https://sites.ed.gov/hispanic-initiative/national-hispanic-heritage-month/
https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2021/09/22/el-museo-del-barrio-east-harlem-estamos-bien-exhibition/
https://www.wfmz.com/news/cnn/regional/special-art-exhibition-at-el-museo-del-barrio-closes-sunday/video_3f723650-65b9-5cf4-a60b-80a83ea2f65a.html
https://salsainthesuburbs.com/
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