. Did you know that Hispanic Heritage Month begins Sunday? According to DESE's website, in 2023 over 64% of EHS students were Hispanic.
At my previous schools, I shared monthly information celebrating the wonderful diversity among our students. This year I would like to do the same as part of our Equity Team.
I encourage you to share this info with your students starting with this great 3 minute video the students will love and many will identify with:
https://youtu.be/fICUsWmst1U
Hispanic Heritage Month
Each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15, by celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of people whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.
The observation started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period starting on September 15 and ending on October 15. It was enacted into law on August 17, 1988.
The day of September 15 is significant because it is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September 18, respectively. Also, Columbus Day or Día de la Raza, which is October 12, falls within this 30 day period.
While the terms Hispanic and Latino are sometimes used interchangeably, for example, by the United States Census Bureau, "Hispanic" is a different term that refers to native speakers of Spanish, or have Spanish-speaking ancestry, while "Latino" is more frequently used to refer generally to anyone of Latin American origin or ancestry. One example – someone from Brazil is Latino but not Hispanic since they speak Portuguese and not Spanish.
In the event you want to do some activities with your students, check out:
https://www.weareteachers.com/hispanic-heritage-month-activities/
Feel free to decorate your area accordingly. Please reach out with any questions.
Regards,
Bob Sansone
Special Education Teacher
Equity Team Member
Everett High School
Please enjoy my Ted Talk on Diversity & Inclusion
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPD21Ta4prA
