Emma Narvaez
Every year from September 15 to October 15, Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated to recognize the history, culture, and contributions of the Latin and Hispanic communities. Although Hispanic Heritage Month originated in the United States, it is also celebrated in numerous Latin American countries, as it coincides with several independence days. The month begins on September 15, which is the national day of celebration for many countries in Central America including Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. This independence day is followed by Mexico’s on September 16, Chile’s on September 18, and Belize’s on September 21. Each of these countries has a unique way of celebrating their freedom, often involving cultural foods, dances, parades, and music.
There is a large Latin community here at Saint Maur among the students and staff, and it is important to recognize their culture and significance. This Latin community involves Ms. Aguilera (Teacher, Mexico), Señor Canon (Teacher, Colombia), Mr. Bolaños (Teacher, Colombia), Mr. Paredes Lopez (Maintenance, Peru), Ms. Osada (Office Manager, Mexico), Ms. Mansson (Teacher, Uruguay), Ms. Mancho (Teacher, Spain), and Mrs. Martin (Teacher, El Salvador).
Furthermore, to gain a better understanding of Latin American culture, I interviewed Ms. Aguilera and Señor Canon.
What country are you from?
Aguilera: “I’m from Mexico.”
Canon: “I was born in Manizales, Colombia…the coffee region area of my country.”
What does being Hispanic mean to you?
Aguilera: “It means a lot. My culture, Hispanic culture for me is very important. …I love our traditions, our food, our people, so yes… I really love my culture and it means a lot for me. I’m really proud to be Mexican and Hispanic.”
Canon: “For me to be Hispanic means to be different, to be open, to be loud, to be free, to… think in a very different way and behave in a very different way.”
What is your favorite part about Latin American culture?
Aguilera: “First of all, the food […] is very unique. Of course, every culture has its own unique food, but […] Hispanic or Latin American food I think includes more flavors for different kinds of tastes. Then, I would say the culture and traditions that we have. I visualize the culture as very colorful, with a lot of colors to represent holidays, traditions, and emotions. For example, the Day of the Dead represents sadness because people are not with us, but at the same time, it’s to spend some time remembering them. […] So I will say the traditions, the culture, and its people.”
Canon: “The best part for me is the festivities. For example, in Colombia and in Latin America, the most important is in December [which is] when we celebrate so many things connected with religion, but always celebrations include food, music, and drinks, alcohol. […] dancing and music, which are very important for us.”
Who is your favorite influential Latin American?
Aguilera: “[Some] people that have influenced my life, I will say my family, my parents, because in Latin American culture, our parents are very important […] and their influence, for example, I’m a teacher because my father is a teacher, and it passed three generations. […] We think that it’s important to respect our parents’ influence in our lives because they do it based on love and because they want the best for us. We look at them as heroes. For me, they are famous.”
Canon: “I would say [Latins] in music because “influential” [means] that they change my life or influence the way I think and […] music is so important for us; when I work, I listen to music, when I start my lessons, I put music [on] for my students because it’s part of my culture. It’s part of who I am. Music is important for us.”
What is your country’s independence day called and how do you celebrate it?
Aguilera: “In Spanish, it is called Día de la Independencia Mexicana and how we celebrate it is we have something called “el Grito”, in English is “the shout” […] where the representative of the government starts shouting words to the audience, to recognize all the heroes that participated in that big battle for our independence. [They] start saying the names with a word before, like “viva”, or “hurry” […], and then they say “Viva Mexico”, and then everyone repeats “viva viva”. Then, they ring a bell because the person who started the revolution for independence was a priest and the priest rang the bell of the church where he was to call the people to join him in battle. […] We start with this and then we have the anthem, fireworks, and then it’s a day to spend with family. We always wait [to do this] at midnight on the 16th and then celebrate the whole day.”
Canon: “We don’t have a specific name for our independence day. July 20 is the independence day of Columbia. We celebrate it like the other countries; we have a military parade at the capital and every single family raises a flag outside of the house. It’s a free day, for the reason it’s more about being with family. And if you live in Bogotá, the capital, you go to see the parade.”
Do you have any Latin American food recommendations here in Japan?
Aguilera: “Tacos el Odaiba!”
Canon: “I go to Don Qui and I buy the cheese bread in the international section. It’s from Brazil, but it tastes and looks exactly like Colombia. If I want to feel at home, cheese bread with coffee is the best for me.”
Evidently, Latin American culture is beautifully unique, lively, and deserves to be appreciated not only throughout Hispanic Heritage Month but all throughout the year. As an international school, we are very fortunate to be able to learn about different cultures from native individuals so remember to talk to your peers about their culture and expand your knowledge of the world!
Works Cited
Congress, The Library of, et al. “National Hispanic American Heritage Month 2022.” Www.hispanicheritagemonth.gov, 2022, www.hispanicheritagemonth.gov/about/#:~:text=The%20day%20of%20September%2015. Accessed 25 Sept. 2022.
Emma Narvaez