Hispanic Heritage Month holds great importance to me. In the past I feel like Park hasn’t done anything to honor Hispanic Heritage Month This year, Park did recognize Hispanic students and staff by finding creative ways to incorporate Hispanic Heritage Month into daily life. My favorite was the flags around the school. It is very important to learn about all the different countries and their flags, especially considering that Hispanic Heritage Month starts off with independence day for a variety of countries like Costa Rica, Honduras, etc. 

While I do recognize that Park did implement acknowledgements  for Hispanic Heritage Month, some practices I did not appreciate. For example, having the pledge of allegiance on Mondays in Spanish. This is performative and was used to allow Park to say they did something. Simply translating America’s pledge of allegiance doesn’t benefit anyone. In fact, it is a step backwards. What I would recommend is saying the pledge of allegiance in Spanish of South America’s countries. It would give an opportunity for students to grow and learn about Hispanics and how far these countries have come for their independence. This is especially important knowing that Hispanic Heritage Month started off as Hispanic Heritage Week. Hispanics have come far and made progress, but that is not to say there isn’t space for more growth.

The library is always active on inclusivity, which I do appreciate. The library has Mexico’s flag and a shelf of books inspired by Hispanic Heritage Month. I really respect  this because students spend a lot of time in the media center and this gives them the opportunity to expand their perspective.

I appreciate Park starting conversations and teachers taking Hispanic Heritage Month into their own matters. For example, my pottery teacher Angela Jacob talked about Hispanic potters and events her students can go to learn more about Hispanic artists. I am very grateful for this because she isn’t just talking about the past of Hispanic Heritage Month but insteadabout the present and what students can do to learn about Hispanic artists 

I love my culture and always grew up loving it. The music, food and the dancing brings me such joy because there is nothing like it. My culture is a way that I connect with my family and my people. It is very important for Hispanic people to be represented because they help build this country. There are so many Hispanic leaders and Hispanic businesses we can support. With a few steps forward I see progress being made but there’s still many steps to go. I value Park for giving Hispanic Heritage Month recognition.