September, which brings along the start of school and the beginning of fall, also marks the commencement of Hispanic Heritage Month.
Hispanic Heritage Month is recognized in the United States between September 15th and October 15th, and it highlights the cultures of people of Caribbean, Mexican, Spanish, and Central and South American descent.
Originally, in 1968, only “Hispanic Heritage Week” was observed; however, this was expanded into the full 30-day period by 1988. This time period was specifically chosen since various different Latin American holidays are observed between September 15 and October 15.
September 15 is significant because it is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September 18, respectively. Columbus Day or Día de la Raza, which is on October 12, also falls within this 30-day period.
While Loomis Chaffee doesn’t specifically observe all of these holidays, the school still recognizes Hispanic Heritage Month and encourages LC members to learn more about what it entails.
“Loomis promotes Hispanic Heritage Month and celebrates achievements within the Hispanic community in various ways,” Valerie Ruiz ’24 said, one of the Pa’Lante presidents. “Pa’ Lante, our Hispanic and Latino affinity group on campus, works closely with the DEI Interns to create a Hispanic Heritage Bulletin Board, a Hispanic Heritage Month installation in the dining hall, and ‘Did You Know?’ Daily Bulletin posts that highlight different aspects of the Hispanic and Latino community.”
Ruiz said that ‘the dining hall installation spotlights the diverse societal contribution of prominent and influential members of the Hispanic and Latinx community’, and that ‘the Daily Bulletin series provides students and faculty knowledge about the Hispanic and Latino community as well as its diverse cultures’.
For instance, one of the “Did You Know?” series posts explains the origin of the word “Hispanic”: “The term Hispanic was first recognized by the US government in the 1970s, when Congress passed a law calling for information about residents from Spanish-speaking countries to be documented. Since then, the word ‘Hispanic’ has been used as an ‘ethnicity’ in various forms for government, education, and employment purposes.”
Additionally, Hispanic Heritage Month is promoted at Loomis through an annual event known as Latine Fest. This year, Latin Fest falls on Saturday, October 7.
Latine Fest, organized by the Pa’ Lante affinity group at Loomis, is traditionally held at the conclusion of Hispanic Heritage month, and it invites the entire community to gather together and celebrate the different cultures involved in the recognition of Hispanic heritage. Open to all students, faculty, and staff, Latine Fest encourages participants to immerse themselves in various different cultures and foods.
“During Latine Fest this year, there will be a Latin musical ensemble called GOZO, a flamenco workshop by our own Farrah Kanorwalla, and a Mexican food truck,” Ruiz said.
Although the offerings of Latine Fest differ year to year, Ruiz claimed that it is always a captivating way for Pa’Lante to lead the LC community in commemorating the differences that members of the Hispanic and Latinx community have made.
