Celebrating Latino Heritage Month

Once a year, between October and November, the U.S. celebrates National Hispanic Heritage month. In this brief note, I will use the term Latinos, influenced by the political movements that seek to improve the lives of all Latinoamericanos, to refer to our Spanish-speaking population.

Celebrating the presence, contributions, communal aspirations, and struggles of the diverse groups of people who form the mosaic of America should not just happen one month a year. We celebrate all of our peoples and the rich assets they bring to the American mosaic when we offer their children quality and equity in school and out of it. We celebrate when we do our outmost to build a brighter future for our students, their communities, and our country as a whole. We celebrate when we deliberately consider the impact that our actions, and those of others, may have in their lives. We do it when—with a reasoned voice—we call out the inequities that they suffer, when we defend their right to enjoy increasing justice and welfare.

Our students were not born as “minorities,” and we need to say it accurately, our Latino students have been minoritized. It has been the actions of many that have rendered Latino populations and others minoritized. Thus, we, and future generations of educators, have it in our power to redress this situation. How?

We have a wonderful example in Sonia Sotomayor. She knows she is in the minority in the Supreme Court, and she knows oftentimes her voice and her vote will not count for decision-making. However, she always speaks and writes deliberately, with justice and inner power in her voice. Our own Secretary of Education, Miguel Cardona, and our Director of OELA, Montserrat Garibay, also personify the talents and dreams of the Latino population in the United States, they set our north.

As we officially celebrate Latino month, let us keep in mind Sotomayor, Cardona, Garibay, and many others who express the voice of the people and all students, channel their aspirations, and work indefatigably to make their improvement a reality. ¡Sí se puede!