We have days such as National Donut Day or National Pancake Day but we also have months to celebrate. June is the month to celebrate the LGBTQIA community, February is Black History month, and September is Hispanic Heritage month.

This year, Wilsonville High School’s MEChA (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán), which is an organization that focuses on unifying and empowering Chicanos, plans to celebrate this special month. We spoke to Fernanda Oropeza, sophomore and vice-president of MEChA, and Gabby Leon, a sophmore and member of MEChA to discuss what Hispanic heritage month means to them and what MEChA is doing to celebrate.

To Gabby, Hispanic heritage month means “celebrating latino culture and the latino figures that build up the community. It also means for everyone else to learn about our culture and celebrate with us.”

To Fernanda, “Hispanic heritage month means that it’s a time when people can recognize, not only Latinos, but a bunch of other cultures in our world. Although most people don’t see much, Latinos and their contributions in this world have created an influential impact. It’s super important to me because it reminds me of how much I value my Latina roots and I’m so blessed to be part of such a colorful and beautiful culture.”

As vice-president of MEChA, Oropeza spoke about MEChA’s plan to celebrate September. “Right now, MECHA is printing a short biography of a bunch of past and present Spanish speaking influencers and hanging them around the school to represent Hispanic heritage month. I think this is a great way to represent Hispanic heritage month because I think that most people sleep on this month, or at least forget that there’s such thing as this.”

Around the school there are small profiles on influential Hispanics such as Cesar Chavez, Dolores Huerta, Frida Kahlo, Sophie Cruz, and many more.

Gabby says that to her, everyday is Hispanic heritage day. In her day to day life she eats Hispanic foods and listens to Latinx music; therefore, there isn’t a specific celebration that she does this month. However she does like educating herself more about the Indigenous people that are often overlooked and to celebrate her culture.

As for Fernanda, she says, “I don’t normally celebrate Spanish heritage month, but when I do, I usually just honor a bunch of old Hispanic songs that I’ve grown up with. Sometimes I’ll even do a classic Frida Kahlo hairdo if I have the right amount of bobby-pins haha.”

Hispanic Heritage month is for everyone to celebrate and to learn more about this wonderful culture. It might celebrate one group but it does not mean that others can’t celebrate as well, the whole point of these celebrations is to unite as one and celebrate each other