From the Bonita Vista High (BVH) Spanish Honors Society to the BVH Multicultural club, BVH celebrates Hispanic Heritage month from Sept. 15 to Oct.15 in different ways. With traditional foods, cultural traditions, and more, BVH has an ethnically diverse student count which is recognized by the staff and students themselves.
“There is a sense of diversity at [BVH]. We have students from all over the world and constantly have exchange students coming in and out of the school. There are a lot of people who believe all Hispanics are Mexican, but that is false. Hispanics range from Guatemalan to Costa Rican to Colombian. There are more than just Mexicans,” International Baccalaureate (IB) Spanish, Advanced Placement (AP) Spanish literature and World Languages teacher Lilia Meza said.
BVH, as well as the Sweetwater Union High School District, have very large Hispanic student populations, supported by USNews. The diversity of heritage within these Hispanic students is varied throughout the school. To support Hispanic Heritage month, clubs like Multicultural club and Spanish Honors Society focus on Hispanic culture such as language, food, and tradition by advertising themselves across the school campus. The Spanish Honors Society club also encourages the community to show their support in a myriad of ways.
“[People can support us by] celebrating [Hispanic Heritage] month, educating themselves and even watching the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) because of the Hispanic documentaries on there. [Another way to show support is by] supporting Hispanic art forms,” Spanish Honors Society President and senior Daniel Robitaille said.
Robitaille is a student of half Mexican descent. He celebrates his heritage with plenty of Mexican traditions along with feasting on traditional Mexican dishes every year. Meza explains how aside from taking part in the culture, watching or studying different Hispanic cultures in the media is a great way to become knowledgeable about the Hispanic arts.
“Hispanic culture is mainly celebrated in parties and festivals. It would be nice for BVH to have festivals aimed towards the support of culture so students may express themselves while exploring their culture,” Meza says.
At BVH, there are different events and activities the school takes part in to celebrate— including food fairs, assemblies and club meetings. Moreover, there are classes within the district that help students understand the culture and traditions passed on from Hispanic heritage.
“In the Multicultural Club, we support, celebrate and bring awareness to a variety of cultures by learning about celebrations, traditions, food, music, clothing, language, religion, values, customary beliefs and so much more,” Multicultural Club member Amira Vanessa said.
Multicultural Club and Spanish Honors Society Club are recognized as Hispanic respecting clubs that aim to help students understand the cultures that the Hispanic community has to offer. These clubs act as Hispanic celebratory groups as well as being groups of support within the Hispanic community.
“When supporting Hispanic heritage, we bring awareness to the significance of hispanic and latinx members in the US. Additionally, we discuss the beauty of these cultures and embrace the differences from other cultures,” Vanessa said.
