Each year from Sept. 15th – Oct. 15th, the United States celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month, a holiday honoring the contributions and cultural roots of Hispanic people all across the country.
Here at Pine View, Spanish teachers William Mancera, Lourdes Perez, and Madelin Malkerson had a celebration for their Spanish classes to honor this important holiday. The teachers took this as an opportunity to expose their students to the rich culture of Hispanic Americans.
“I don’t see [Hispanic Heritage Month] as family traditions, but as a part of a much bigger story,” Malkerson said in an email interview.
Perez expanded on this sentiment.
“This [was] intended to recognize the Hispanics who make contributions,” Perez said. “Respect, understanding, and appreciation for the Spanish culture – There are so many famous Hispanics who have made contributions to the world in different fields.”
The students celebrated by wearing traditional clothing, eating Hispanic food, and playing games, such as Just Dance Spanish, and Rana Renata, otherwise known as Feed the Frog. Similar to ring toss, the idea is to throw rings from a distance into the mouth of a toy frog.
“The class is called [AP] Spanish Language and Culture, so I try to bring in culture to the class by bringing in food, singing songs, reviewing vocab, and having them cook things,” Mancera said. “The appreciation of the culture- that’s the most important thing, making sure that the students understand the good things that Latino American people do in this country.”
Students enjoyed learning about the culture, and taking part in the celebration.
“The students connect a lot with the Spanish music,” said Perez.
Junior Isabella La Fuente agrees.
“I think it was really fun, and I think it was good that they acknowledged it, because last year we didn’t do anything. It was nice to connect,” she said.
“As a Spanish teacher, it is a reminder of the importance of teaching the language, also as a bridge to understanding diverse cultures and perspectives,” Malkerson said. “It gives me the chance to honor my roots and to inspire my students to appreciate and value the contributions of the Hispanic community. I hope they walk away with a deeper respect for the Hispanic communities and inspired enough to celebrate diversity in their own lives.”
