Empowering Students and Faculty to Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

McGraw Hill | By Bryan Whitford, Spanish Teacher

The issue of my identity has not always been front and center in my mind. I was born in the United States to a father of English heritage and a mother from Puerto Rico. My last name does not exactly invoke Hispanic heritage. Growing up mostly in New Jersey, I feel I was like most kids trying to fit in as best I could whether it was keeping up with the latest fashion, listening to the current music, talking about the most popular TV shows, or debating who was the best local sports team. Although I was quite aware of my Puerto Rican background, I did not spend much time considering its significance. I heard the Spanish language every day at home however English was my native language and always my first choice. My siblings and I spent parts of summers in my mother’s hometown, my Abuelita and tía visited us often stateside, Puerto Rican food was a staple at the dinner table, and we celebrated many Puerto Rican customs and holidays in our household. And yet it never occurred to me what my Hispanic heritage meant to me.

→ continue reading