Feature

How Karla Aguilar plays a role in Hispanic heritage month

By  Senetha Edwards and Emma Carver

Oct. 11, 2023

Karla is a student who attends Waynesboro High School. Her family is from Guanajuato Morelia and she is a first generation. Karla says that she is Mexican American which means her cultures are mixed. Her culture includes celebrating within parades, having huge dinners, and holidays that look different to them. An example of the different holidays is that on the 5th of January, they celebrate Los Reyes Magos. (The Three Kings) This is when the three kings give them gifts within the region of Mexico. She says “Our cultural value is family because work is important but money comes and goes while family you will have them throughout your life”.

 What does Heritage mean to Karla? She stated in her interview “ I think this is a month that I can feel truly represented.” She celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month by having a carne asada. It's a dish that has marinated steak that is cut super thinly. She says when she does that she feels comfort knowing there are so many more Hispanics out there, and it's a way to connect with her Roots. She also said it's a way to know more about other Hispanic cultures, not just their own. 

Does she feel represented at Waynesboro High School? She stated in her interview “I think our school does great with diversity. I think our school does great with diversity and should be more recognized and we should also try to strive to do even more within our school to make others known.”  She feels like this because the Hispanic flag is hung up near the library and there are multiple flags around campus.  She also stated, “Another way I felt represented was when the announcements when they had done special people that were Hispanic and what they had achieved in English and Spanish.” What she is saying is that every day this month we have some announcements and on the statements they talk about Hispanic culture and people that have done great things and have helped. 

Karla is proud to be Hispanic; it makes her work harder and enjoy school. She says “I know many others have different experiences. From my experience, my parents crossed illegally and they did this because they wanted my family to have a better future. I'm so proud to say they finally have their documents to be able to go to Mexico to see their families”. She also says that she is proud of her mother because she crossed the United States where she had to leave her mother that soon died after she crossed and that she wasn't able to attend her funeral.   

Karla said that it was really hard for her to learn English, especially in pre-k, and she did not understand the grammar fully until 6th grade. She also said she lost some of her Spanish while learning English. So her Spanish is not as polished as before. Something that makes her sad is not being from here or there. For her, that means she's not from Mexico because she's too American. In America, she doesn't belong because she's too Mexican.  

This article was written by journalism students at Waynesboro High School.