Hispanic culture in the Eastern Christian community
On the front lawn of Eastern Christian High School on October 15, the warm aroma of fresh empanadas, arroz con pollo, alfajores and chips filled the air. Students crowded around the ABIDE SOAR’s food sale during lunch, eagerly waiting in the long line to purchase some of the delicious Hispanic food ahead of them.
October 15 was the last day of Hispanic Heritage Month, a month dedicated to celebrating the Latin culture that has been integrated so heavily into American culture. The start of the celebration month commences on September 15, which is also Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaraguas’ independence days.
The month was first an official week, but was changed in 1988 to become an official national month after the civil rights movement in the 70s led to more cultures in the United States being celebrated.
The month recognizes and commemorates not only the many Hispanic-American artists, singers, athletes and politicians that have forever imprinted on American history, but also the Hispanic-American citizens of the United States. Currently in the US, there’s around 62.1 million Hispanic-American citizens, more than ever before.
At Eastern Christian, the student body is around 12 percent Hispanic, also more than ever before in Eastern Christian’s history. Hispanic students like senior Julien Arcay, senior Isaiah Torres, and sophomore Bryan Costa pointedly note how proud they each are of their Hispanic backgrounds. Julien says, “I love my culture, the language, specifically the Dominican and Puerto Rican dialect of Spanish, the incredible food and the addictive music.”
This is why the ABIDE SOAR, dedicated to celebrating different cultures, decided to raise money for an organization, yet to be determined, connected to helping grow the appreciation for Hispanic culture in the US. The food sale raised over $300 and their expectations were exceeded in having the student body appreciate the Hispanic culture, which is so prominent in EC.
ABIDE is focused on highlighting the various cultures in the Eastern Christian community and Chela Owuor, the leader of the ABIDE SOAR shares, “Our cultural spotlight was a success and we are so thankful to everyone who contributed.”