As a Hispanic myself, I know that there is so much to our cultures and our beliefs. In America today, Hispanics don’t get much of a chance to be celebrated, but this month does just that. It gives us an opportunity to share our cultures, acknowledge those who are successful in the world today, and honor our heroes and ancestors of the past.

It all began in 1968 when President Lyndon B. Johnson issued the first Hispanic Heritage Week. 21 years later, President George H.W Bush extended it to a full month beginning on September 15th and ending on October 15th. The dates are very significant to the Hispanic communities because some of the dates mark the day of Independence for Latin American countries such as Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Costa Rica marking their independence on the 15th of September.  Mexico’s independence is on the 16th and Chile’s on the 18th.

This national celebration is important to many students because it is a way to honor Hispanic Heritage in general. It’s a way to honor the history, the culture, and the influence of our past generations. It honors those who took the extra mile and migrated from countries such as Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and South, and Central America. Even students from Lakota West and their families took the chance and migrated to our nation. There is so much Hispanic diversity in the district itself, there is so much you can learn from each and every single student here.

The Spanish Club conducted an activity that helped students learn about various Hispanic countries. It was interesting to see how similar and how different these countries were compared to each other. They all have a tradition or culture that is so unique from one another yet they have so many things in common in the way their country is structured. Mrs. Billups, a Spanish teacher at Lakota West, had students research a Hispanic person that had done well for the community. People such as Pitbull, Roberto Clemente, and Jennifer Lopez were discussed.