Did you know that Spanish Heritage Month is currently ongoing? It began on September 15th and ends on October 15th. So, there is still plenty of time to celebrate!

A common misconception is that Spanish Heritage Month only celebrates those who have Spanish or Latin American heritage. However, Spanish Heritage Month also celebrates how Hispanic culture shapes the culture and history of the United States.

In 1968, the United States began celebrating Spanish Heritage, initially for a week. Twenty years later, the celebration was extended to a month.

Spanish and Latin culture is embedded into American culture and plays a a significant role our country. There are many ways you can appreciate and celebrate Spanish Heritage Month and make it fun.

If you would like to explore Hispanic culture on campus, there are upcoming options for you! Mrs. Newland stressed the importance of this by saying that many “don’t understand how many countries are Spanish speaking in the world” and that there are “so many different cultures here in Athens.”

These cultures are often underrepresented and broadly clumped into a general “Spanish culture” when in fact they have their own individual cultures and values. Spanish club is combating this on campus by creating options for students to try new recipes and foods.

During club time, the Spanish club will be organizing food for its members to try. In October, the Spanish Club will be selling food during lunch. Mrs. Newland shares that they are “planning to have a lunch in October where students can buy different specialties from different regions” which in turn will allow “greater appreciation for the culture.”

What makes Spanish Heritage Month so great is how you celebrate it is entirely up to you! I personally enjoy listening to more traditional music and testing my Spanish knowledge by trying to understand what they say.