September 15 through October 15th marks Hispanic Heritage Month. For Latinx communities, celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month helps them feel represented and honored. Fort Hamilton High School continuously strives to honor diversity and recognize people of different backgrounds. This year’s Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations helped fulfill the goal of fostering cultural appreciation within the school.
All month, students and teachers started the day by hearing a quotation from an inspirational Latinx figure. Students were encouraged to take a virtual tour of the National Museum of the American Latino. Posters of artwork by Latinx artists were posted around the building so students could recognize the work on their way to class.
The last week of Hispanic Heritage Month was a week of celebration. Hispanic music and a series of inspirational Spanish maxims recited by Spanish-speaking teachers supplemented the daily announcements. On the last day, Spanish music was played during student’s lunch periods while the cafeteria served arroz con frijoles. The last day also marked “Wear Your Culture Day!” Fort students represented their Hispanic culture by wearing their ethnic clothing and displaying their country’s flag.
“Representation helps me feel prideful of my culture,” said Aileen Diaz, a junior at Fort. Hailey Gil, a sophomore, agreed, adding, “Celebrating my culture in a fun way helps me appreciate where I come from.”
For many Latinx students, celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month in a school setting helps them feel more included since they are able to honor a large portion of their identity among their peers and teachers.
Hector Jaco, Homecoming Prince and a member of student government as Sophomore Senator, played a role in organizing these events.
Despite his impressive academic record and noteworthy extracurricular involvement, Jaco still struggles to find representation of his culture to inspire and encourage himself and others. He is always pushing to promote and celebrate diversity. As a member of the student government, he is committed to fulfilling this goal.
“Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month at Fort is important to me because it helps shine light on my identity and culture,” remarked Jaco.
Sarai Herreros, a Spanish teacher at Fort Hamilton, is revered for her support of her students. She is the club advisor of Latinos Unidos and is planning a multicultural dance to pay homage to Hispanic culture. Reading the announcements proudly in Spanish, she was a voice for her Hispanic students this month.
“Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month means bringing multiple cultures together and helping to unify our school community and ensuring everybody feels included,” explained Herreros.
This year, Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations were a great success and were a step closer to bringing people together after many years of isolation due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. Joseph Alvear, Fort’s new Activities Director, is actively working to celebrate the diversity of Fort Hamilton. This marks only the beginning of celebrating the different cultures at Fort Hamilton High School.
