Honoring the traditions, cultures, and contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans in our community

Liana Sabnani & Elizabeth Leffew, Staff Writers

National Hispanic Heritage Month honors the traditions, cultures, and contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States. From Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, schools, stores, and other organizations celebrate the heritage rooted in Latin American countries through public events and celebrations. Members of the Northview community also celebrate this month in their own ways.

“For me, [Hispanic Heritage Month] is a way of celebrating the Latino culture,” Northview Spanish teacher, Ana Kreiger, said. “It is also a way of empowerment. I feel like Latinos play such a huge role in the United States, and I feel they are underrepresented in very different ways.”

Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates the rich histories, cultures, and contributions of Hispanic and Latino American citizens whose ancestors hail from Mexico, Spain, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. Under President Lyndon B. Johnson, National Hispanic Heritage Month began as a weeklong event in 1968, and President Ronald Reagan expanded upon this in 1988 to cover a full 30 to 31-day period. Sept. 15, which is the first day of the month, is the official beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month because it is the anniversary of independence for multiple Latin American countries: Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and El Salvador. The month also aligns with the independence days of Mexico (Sept. 16), Chile (Sept. 18), and Belize (Sept. 21), along with Columbus Day, also known as Día de la Raza (Oct. 12).

“I told students that the reason why [Hispanic Heritage Month] is mainly celebrated September 15th to October 15th is because most of the independence dates from Spanish-speaking countries are during that timeframe,” Kreiger said. “That is why Hispanic Heritage Month is between months, and not one specific month.”

National Hispanic American Heritage Month inspires well-known organizations and education centers to show respect for the important history of Hispanic and Latino heritage. For example, the National Gallery of Art hosted a film and discussion event on Sept. 16, 2023, titled "100 Ways to Cross the Border." The film celebrated Mexican/Chicanx performance artist, Guillermo Gómez-Peña and his performance troupe La Pocha Nostra. After the screening, audience members had the opportunity to speak to filmmaker, Amber Bemak, in person at a post-screening discussion.

This year, the Smithsonian is hosting multiple festivals in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. On Oct. 1, 2023, the Latino Heritage Festival: Glen Echo Arts Festival was hosted at Glen Echo Park, Washington D.C. to celebrate Latino history and culture with the National Museum of the American Latino. Then, on Oct. 6, 2023, they gave guests the experience of Washington D.C.'s Latino food scene at the La Cosecha Market Food Festival. These festivals give visitors the opportunity to enjoy hands-on demonstrations, art and dance classes, along with conversations with accomplished Hispanic and Latino celebrities and entrepreneurs.

“It is good for kids to acknowledge other cultures and also their own,” Kreiger said. “It makes them more mindful of their own identity.”

Hispanic Heritage Month, like Black History Month, is not particularly "celebrated," but rather recognized. The Spanish department at Northview uses this time of year to educate students about the history of Hispanic Heritage Month by assigning various projects that help students learn about the culture. Projects like this aim to clarify preconceptions about non-Spanish-speaking countries such as Brazil.

“A lot of people assume that Brazilians speak Spanish or Russian, but we actually speak Portuguese,” junior Eduardo Gomes said.

Hispanics use this month and their daily experiences to embrace and connect with their culture; some may do so through learning and cooking family dishes passed down through generations, while others may dance or sing, embracing their natural roots. However, people do not have to be Hispanic to learn about and respect Hispanic history. Experiencing traditional foods and beverages, as well as listening to customary music, is an appropriate way to learn more about the culture.

“I feel this month educates people,” Krieger said. “That not everyone that is Latino is Mexican, and not everyone that is Latino speaks Spanish. This month is meant to kill those stereotypes about the Hispanic and Latino communities.”