During the week of September 16th to the 20th, Irvington enjoyed a vivid cultural celebration of Hispanic Heritage. Directed by Irvington’s Hispanic culture club MEChA, the week featured various activities that displayed diverse aspects of Mexican culture. Hispanic Heritage Month, typically observed from September 15th to October 15th every year, is recognized to acknowledge the many contributions made by Hispanic Americans to American history. Irvington’s MEChA club chose to condense the celebrations into a week where Irvington students had the opportunity to participate in cultural activities and learn more about Mexican traditions.
Some of the activities conducted throughout the week included a piñata event in which many of the goodies found in Hispanic culture were integrated, making colorful bracelets inspired by flags of different Hispanic countries, a popsicle fundraiser, and a traditional Folklorico performance by MEChA’s Sazon Latino dancers. Valeria Torres-Anorve (12) was a key organizer of the week’s events. She discussed how some of the traditions featured throughout the week reminded her of her childhood. “For one day [MEChA] did a pinata event. I grew up around piñatas a lot for birthday parties and other events and it was nice to have the piñata as part of our club’s celebrations.”
On the final day of Hispanic Heritage Week, MEChA’s talented dancers put on a performance of a traditional dance style called Folklorico. The style is known for combining multiple cultural dances and highlighting them in a colorful performance. Typically, women wear long, flowy, and colorful skirts that they twirl through the air with their hands. This tradition was highlighted through Sazon Latino’s remarkable performance. Mekhala Kannappan (11), a student who watched the performance, shared her impressions of Mexican culture. She explained, “I attended the MEChA dance event that was going on in the pavilion during lunch, and I really liked it, because I think that it shows how important Hispanic Heritage Month is. It showed me one aspect of Mexican culture, dances.”
Melanie Chavez (12), co-president of MEChA stated, “One of the main things Hispanic Heritage week does is recognize and embrace the culture of many Hispanic people all over Irvington. She further explains, “When I attended Mission San Jose for my freshman year, they had nothing that covered Hispanic culture. And then I came here to Irvington, and it’s so amazing to see that there are Hispanics around campus”. MEChA club advisor and Spanish teacher Mr. Ballado describes how he wanted to join MECHA to represent Latino culture. “One reason I wanted to be a part of it was that I am Latino, and I also wanted to help and represent all the minorities on campus, not just Hispanics”. Thanks to Hispanic Heritage Week and MEChA, Hispanic culture and the Latino students and staff of Irvington can represent their rich and beautiful culture throughout the school.
However, there is still more that can be done to celebrate Hispanic culture across Irvington. Mr. Ballado also critiques the length of Hispanic Heritage Week, saying, “I think MEChA could do a better job at promoting Hispanic Heritage Week as a lot of people don’t know about it, and it’s also Hispanic Heritage Month, not just a week, so I would hope to see more events throughout the month in the future.” Melanie Chavez also speaks on student involvement in Hispanic Heritage Week. “I think, honestly, we need more involvement. It would be really interesting to see that people who aren’t Hispanic are allowed to celebrate other things, as not only Hispanics are allowed to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Week. So having other classes and other people be able to come to MEChA events and actually see what it means to be part of the Hispanic community is really important”.
Hispanic Heritage Week and MEChA play an important part in recognizing and embracing the rich culture of many underrepresented groups at Irvington. MEChA does a great job at organizing and engaging people through its lively events, most notably Folklorico. Overall, Hispanic Heritage Week does a great job at celebrating Hispanic people and representing minorities, while also enriching people on the culture and customs.
