By Will Coichy
As seeds are planted into soil, they are expected to grow. Yet, should all the conditions of growth not be met, the plant can do nothing but die. Humans are different. Our soil can easily become damaged from things like poverty and violence. However, unlike plants, we can seek new ground on our own. We can cross borders and oceans to find somewhere more suitable to grow. Here at Nyack High School the Hispanic Heritage Club honors these journeys, and provides a place for the vibrant cultures of Hispanic communities to bloom.
To highlight what makes up this club, I've interviewed the advisors and two members at Nyack to share some thoughts.
“How does the club help promote understanding and appreciation of Hispanic Culture at our school?”
“The club promotes understanding and appreciation by…having an assembly at the beginning of the school year… It allows students to be educated on our culture, whether that's…food, dancing, things that resemble us in a way that others might not understand… We talk about a country each time we meet, and educate the members on a different culture.” - Ms. Cisneros, Advisor
“We try our best to include everybody in the club, and we try to talk about different countries, their culture, their history…we try to have an open space where we include every Hispanic community, because not all are the same.” - Paoly Lopez, Junior
“What does your Hispanic Heritage mean to you?”
“To me, my Hispanic heritage is a really big part of my identity. I’m Dominican, so a really big thing about Dominicans is…we welcome everybody, our food is a big deal, our dance, our music… I just love it. I don't know if that's because I was just born that way, but I feel very proud to be Dominican and Hispanic.” - Ms. Sanchez, Advisor
“My family is from El Salvador…and to me personally it means perseverance. It takes a lot to come to one country, to learn the language, to be acclimated to the new environment. When you come from a different country, you are learning…things that are new to you, the climate is a lot different. So, to me, it's resilience, perseverance, and honestly, something that describes me, who I am.” - Ms. Cisneros, Advisor
“What does being a part of this club mean to you?”
“Even as someone that’s not Hispanic, it makes me feel very welcomed. They still help me out, help me learn… I like this club a lot because I feel like I can… still be myself.” - Megan Gregory, Junior
“What message would you like to share about Hispanic Heritage?”
“I think it’s very cool. Like I said, everyone is very welcoming.” - Megan Gregory, Junior
“To be proud of who you are. At the end of the day, who you are, nobody can take that away from you. It doesn't matter where you are, who you are is always going to be a part of you…you should be proud of it and encourage others to learn about what's going on so you don't feel like an outsider.” - Ms Cisneros, Advisor
“I would like to share that…I feel like everybody can be open and explore Hispanic heritage. It is something so beautiful…and it is something I love showing to everybody else.” - Paoly Lopez, Junior
“I think it’s always fun to learn about different cultures… We come in all different shapes and sizes…We would love for you to join our club, we meet every first and third Wednesday of the month.” - Ms. Sanchez, Advisor
So, as we look forward to another great year of this club, I encourage you all to not miss anything. Step in, ask questions about the countries and people represented, see and learn the dances, ask your own questions, and most of all, listen. Always remember, just as Ms. Cisneros put it in her great response, “be proud of who you are. At the end of the day, who you are, nobody can take that away from you.”