National Hispanic Heritage Month is observed from September 15 to October 15. Nationwide, communities come together to celebrate Hispanic culture and liberation. At Watkins Mill, HHM is a time for solidarity and cultural awareness.
“[It’s important to learn about Hispanic culture because] you can think you know something, and then you realize they’re stereotypes. Within school, Hispanic Heritage Month is a moment for people to start learning about actual Hispanic Heritage and how Hispanic historical figures have impacted America,” junior Marissa Puente Garro said.
HHM started in 1968 under President Johnson as a week-long celebration and later expanded to a month-long celebration under President Reagan in 1988. Though it is unknown when WMHS first started event planning for Hispanic Heritage Month, IB regional program coordinator Elisha Ruiz has supported organizing HHM events at WMHS since 2019 and has taken a full role since 2023.
Ruiz said, “There’s power in community. School is not only for classes, it’s also for having opportunities where you can explore different things.” Reaching out to different departments, Ruiz coordinated with teachers who were interested in exploring Hispanic culture beyond their content level and honoring it through various activities.
School events planned for HHM include the following: Painting your flag, a flag parade, a photo booth, papel picado (cut paper banners) workshop, Spanish spoken word poetry, a spirit week, and much more.
Senior Erika González said “Growing up, I always felt left out. I always felt weird being that one little girl whose parents didn’t speak English, and who I myself spoke really broken English, [but] my culture has always been there for me. It feels like home.”
According to MCPS, 60.9% of WMHS’s student population identifies as Hispanic.
“In my classes, [teachers] put up a slideshow to [showcase] Hispanic leaders. [It makes me] feel included. Especially at WMHS, which is diverse in culture, we want every culture to be represented. It gives students hope that they can also be leaders,” senior Emily Rivera said.
Though this year’s HHM celebration isn’t the first in Watkins Mill history, it won’t be the last.
