Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month in USD 253

1. Cathy Terrell Cultural Awareness for Educators Diversity Project Emporia State University, Spring 2009 Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month in USD 253

2. Introduction • The purpose of this project is to promote the celebration of Hispanic culture within all schools of the Emporia School District. • This presentation will present an overview of the demographic characteristics of the district’s students • Video clips included in the presentation will further demonstrate a need to be more intentional about embracing Hispanic culture within our schools. • The project will conclude with suggestions, resources & information to begin creating a culturally inclusive environment in our schools

3. Demographics According to the Kansas State Board of Education website, White students are no longer the majority in USD 253, with Hispanics being the largest “minority” group.

4. Creating an Inclusive Environment • It is more critical than ever that our schools are embracing diversity and creating a climate that is inclusive and multicultural. • A culturally competent school is generally defined as one that honors, respects, and values diversity in theory and in practice and where teaching and learning are made relevant and meaningful to students of various cultures. National Association of State Boards ofEducation (2002)

5. Building upon the past • We can scaffold our efforts to create this multi-culturally inclusive environment by building upon our past successes….such as:

6. Ask a student…. • Who should always be celebrated during Black History Month • This is what you get….

8. Ask a student…. • Who should always be celebrated during Hispanic Heritage Month • This is what you get….

10. Ask a Teacher & Administrator…. • Who should always be celebrated during Black History Month? • Who should always be celebrated during Hispanic Heritage Month? • This is what you get….

12. What is happening? • Note the consistency in answers to the question of who should always be celebrated during Black History Month. • All students, regardless of race and ethnicity could come up with at least one response. • Hispanic students were able to name example of African-American heroes with no problem. • All of the examples given were people who made visible and notable contributions to American history and culture in the United States.

13. What is happening? In regards to the question about Hispanic Heritage Month, students had fewer responses to this question. Surprisingly, Hispanic students struggled just as much as non-Hispanic students in the video survey. Many students, individually and collectively as a class, had no response to this question. The ESL and Spanish for native speakers classes (comprised solely of Hispanic students), usually could only come up with one response – Pancho Villa.

14. Pancho Villa? • While it is true the Pancho Villa is a Mexican Hero, the fact that most Hispanic students could only come up with his name is an indication that we need to do a better job. • Pancho Villa was a leader of the Mexican Revolution and fought on behalf of many disadvantaged people of Mexico during the 1800’s. He never lived in the United States. • Celebrating Pancho Villa during Hispanic Hertiage month is analogous to Blacks celebrating Nelson Mandela during Black History Month. Mandela did great things, but he never lived in the US and his contributions did not have a direct impact on American life.

15. Educating Ourselves • In 1968, Congress authorized President Lyndon B. Johnson to proclaim a week in September as National Hispanic Heritage Week. • The observance was expanded in 1988 to a month long celebration (Sept. 15-Oct. 15). • During this month, America celebrates the culture and traditions of U.S. residents who trace their roots to Spain, Mexico and the Spanish-speaking nations of Central America, South America and the Caribbean. • Sept. 15 was chosen as the starting point for the celebration because it is the anniversary of independence of five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. • In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on Sept. 16 and Sept. 18, respectively.

16. Recognizing Hispanics have risen to great heights and established their mark on behalf of U.S. society in many fields of endeavor. There are literally too many distinctive landmarks of Hispanic progress during the past century to note in this reduced space. Here are a few highlights from business, science, sports, and politics . In all, a remarkable century for Hispanics in the United States.

17. Familiarize Yourself • In New York in 1959, Dr. Severo Ochoa won the Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology for his discovery of RNA (ribonucleic acid), one of the chemical building blocks of life. • Ellen Ochoa invented optical analysis systems and was also the world's first Hispanic female astronaut. • The first Latino to serve in Congress, Joseph Marion Hernández, was elected in 1822. • César Chávez (1927-1993), founder of the United Farm Workers Union, led the fight to gain recognition for the workers who harvest this nation's produce • Octaviano A. Larrazolo, was the first Hispanic U.S. Senator. • Chemist, Luis Miramontes co-invented the contraceptive pill. • Miguel Servet worked in anatomy and physiology led; He discoved the circulation of blood through the human body.

18. The Beauty of Art • Art is a wonderful resource for celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month

19. Becoming Culturally Inclusive • As educators and administrators, creating a culturally inclusive environment requires that each of us takes the necessary steps to become culturally competent. • A culturally competent school is generally defined as one that honors, respects, and values diversity in theory and in practice and where teaching and learning are made relevant and meaningful to students of various cultures.

20. Celebrating in the Classroom • One of the MOST IMPORTANT goals of Hispanic Heritage Month is to demonstrate how Hispanics have impacted and contributed to American life and culture. • A great website for lesson plans and objectives to meet this goal is: • http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/19990920monday.html?searchpv=learning_lessons

21. Lesson Plans & Activities • List some interesting facts about Hispanic Heritage MonthLESSON PLANS & CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES • CONTEMPORARY LATINA WRITERS: JULIA ALVAREZ – LESSON PLANhttp://ladb.unm.edu/retanet/plans/search/retrieve.php3?ID[0]=422A lesson plan for grades 9-12 on Latina writers focusing on Julia Alvarez. It uses Alvarez as an example but can be adapted for several Latina writers. Excellent • GEOGRAPHY OF MEXICO AND CENTRAL AMERICA – LESSON PLAN             NEW!http://school.discovery.com/lessonplans/programs/geo_mexico/A lesson plan for grades 3-5 on the geography of Mexico and Central America. Excellent • GEOGRAPHY OF SOUTH AMERICA – LESSON PLAN             NEW!http://school.discovery.com/lessonplans/programs/geo_southamerica/A lesson plan for grades 3-5 on the geography of South America. Excellent • GUANTANAMERA: A POEM AND A SONG – LESSON PLANhttp://artsedge.kennedy-enter.org/teaching_materials/curricula/curriculum.cfm?curriculum_id=496&mode=fullA lesson plan for grades 9-12 on the song and poem "Guantanamera". "In this lesson students will listen to "Guantanamera," a Cuban folk song made famous by Pete Seeger with lyrics from a poem by Jose Marti. They will discover that these two men shared more than a song." Excellent • HISPANIC WORLD UNIT                 NEW!http://commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/letsnet/noframes/bigideas/b1/b1u2.htmlA unit for middle, junior and high school students on Hispanic countries and peoples. "In this unit, students will conduct primary and secondary research to know the "hispanohablantes" in the world. These explorations will serve as windows for these Spanish-speaking countries for students to acquire information and impression from different perspectives. Students are supposed to conduct the researches by using their Spanish ability to comprehend the information on the Internet.     Through team works, they will target one country as research topic, collect information using Internet resources as well as library resources, share their research with other groups, and visit these web sites set up by other groups that relate to these Hispanic countries." Excellent • I HEAR LATIN AMERICA SINGING: EXPLORING LATIN AMERICAN HISTORY THROUGH SONG – LESSON PLAN                                                                                     NEW!http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20030905friday.html?searchpv=learning_lessonsA lesson plan on Latin American history for grades 6-12. "In this lesson, students learn about the historical and current social, political, and cultural trends of Latin American countries. After researching a specific country, groups write songs that reflect the music styles as well as the history of the region." Excellent • THE LATIN AMERICAN MERCADO – WHO MADE THIS? – LESSON PLAN     NEW!http://ladb.unm.edu/retanet/plans/search/retrieve.php3?ID[0]=469A lesson plan for grades 6-8 on the global marketplace. "The mercado or marketplace in Latin America is a social and business event where both local gossip and goods exchange hands in a friendly, bargaining atmosphere. Through their participation in a simulated cottage industry and subsequent marketplace, students can begin to appreciate the effort and tedium involved in such work. They gain cultural understanding of the marketplace and its impact on traditional society. Hopefully, they can transfer newly acquired economic skills and global understanding to their purchasing power." Excellent

22. Web Resources • CELEBRATE HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH – NATIONAL PARK SERVICEhttp://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/feature/hispanic/Highlights various National Park Service and Historic Register sites that celebrate the achievements and history of Hispanic Americans. Includes Featured Historic Places and Teaching with Historic Places which has lesson plans geared to specific sites. The lesson plans are designed to bring the historic sites and their significance into the classroom. Excellent • CINCO DE MAYOhttp://www.umkc.edu/imc/cincomay.htmInformation on the history of the Cinco de Mayo celebration. Includes a large section with activities for the classroom. Includes songs, role-playing, language arts and more. Excellent • ÍESPAÑOLÉ! THE ONLINE RESOURCE FOR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS OF SPANISHhttp://www.espanole.org/A huge site, not only on the Spanish language, but also on the culture, history, music, food and arts. Outstanding. Excellent • ESPECIALLY ESPAÑOLhttp://www.kn.pacbell.com//wired/espanol/index.htmlA page of Spanish activities and resources for elementary, middle and high school students. A step above the usual list of links page. Excellent • HISPANIC HERITAGE CROSSWORD PUZZLE             NEW!http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/xwords/20020913.htmlA crossword puzzle from the NY Times on Hispanic Heritage. Excellent • HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTHhttp://www.factmonster.com/spot/hhm1.htmlAn outstanding site on Hispanics. Sections include: Hispanic Americans by the Numbers, Spanish Loan Words, Countries of Origin, Spanish Accents, Hispanics in Congress, Where Spanish is Spoken, Hispanic Holidays, Spanish Place Names, Preference for Racial or Ethnic Terminology, Biographies, a Crossword and two quizzes. Excellent • HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTHhttp://www.mcps.k12.md.us/curriculum/socialstd/Hispanic.htmlClassroom activities for Hispanic Heritage Month. Activities for K-5, Activities for 6-8, Activities for 9-12, and Great Links to Hispanic Sites and Reading Adventure Activities. Excellent • HISPANIC ONLINE.COMhttp://www.hispaniconline.com/Daily news of interest to Hispanics. Sections: Arts & Entertainment, Politics & Opinion, Lifestyle, Business & Finance, Career Center, Technology, Education, Research & Resources, and Sports. Excellent • HISPANIC ONLINE MAGAZINEhttp://www.hispaniconline.com/magazine/An online magazine covering various aspects of Hispanic life and heritage. Excellent

23. Web Resources continued • Websites • AMERICAN EXPERIENCE – ZOOT SUIT RIOTShttp://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/zoot/A companion site to the PBS program about the "Zoot Suit Riots" in the 1942. "In August 1942 the murder of a young Mexican-American man ignited a firestorm in the City of the Angels. In no time at all, ethnic and racial tensions that had been building up over the years boiled over. Police fanned out across the city in a dragnet that netted 600 Mexican Americans. Among those accused of murder was a young "zoot-suiter" named Hank Leyvas -- the poster boy for an entire generation of rebellious Mexican kids who refused to play by the old rules. As he and sixteen other boys headed to trial, the mood of the city turned violent. The deck was stacked against the defendants, and a verdict of guilty would spark a series of brutal riots. The convictions were ultimately overturned, but the city and its inhabitants would be forever changed." Includes a Transcript of the program, primary sources, people and events, a timeline and more. Excellent • Casa de Joanna: Language Learning Resources             NEW URL!http://www.casadejoanna.com/mirror/Language resource links for the study of French and Spanish. The Spanish links include: Getting Acquainted; Family & Self; Friends, Activities & Sports; Clothes; Community; Food; Health; House & Home; Restaurants; School; TV & Movies; and Vacation & Travel. Also, Newspapers, Culture, Web Guides and more. Excellent • CELEBRATE HISPANIC HERITAGE!http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/hispanic/index.htmA Scholastic site on Hispanic Heritage. Sections: Hispanic History in the Americas, Meet Famous Latinos, Latinos in History, My Heritage, Piñata Concentration Game and a Teacher’s Guide and Research Starter. Excellent

24. Strategies • Elective courses designed to help students from diverse backgrounds get along, such as Combating Intolerance • ■ Peer mediation to allow students from diverse backgrounds an opportunity to talk about potentially divisive issues • ■ Student clubs that help large groups of students retain cultural identity (e.g., Muslim Student Society) • ■ Openness to starting new clubs to reflect the interests of the student body • ■ Parent liaisons who are paid to work with families who would not otherwise have a traditional involvement with the school • ■ Home visits by parent liaisons • ■ Telephone tree in multiple languages • ■ Minority parent committee that organizes evenings for minority parents to come to school in smaller groups and learn about the college admissions process, SAT prep classes, scholarship and grant opportunities, and so forth • ■ Letters sent home and phone contact with parents from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds to ensure a good turnout at parent meetings • ■ Open communication with students • ■ Quarterly meetings between a randomly selected group of students from each grade level and their administrator to obtain feedback on how school is going for them and what specific things can be improved or changed

25. More Strategies • E ffort awards honor breakfast for students who have had trouble but who have raised their grades; each teacher • nominates two students from his or her class • ■ Establishment of a Hispanic PTSA with business discussion and programs in Spanish • ■ Initiation of a “challenge” program to invite promising students to enroll in honors and Advanced Placement classes. • Source: Jan Leslie, the director of the Office of High School Instruction and K–12 Curriculum Services and the former principal of Herndon High School, Fairfax County (VA) Public Schools

26. Conclusion Our overall goal as educators and administrators must be to create culturally sensitive and inclusive schools. In order to do this, we must set goals for success. These goals for culturally competent schools are to establish settings where all students are made to feel welcome; are engaged in learning; and are included in the full range of activities, curricula, and services. We must work collaboratively with school staff members, parents, and the community to accomplish goals that include closing achievement gaps and • promoting pro-social behaviors. The benefits of culturally competent schools are numerous and include preventing academic failure, reducing drop-out rates, and engaging students and their families in the • school community. (Mary Beth Klotz, 2006)

27. Alex Haley • “In all of us there is a hunger, marrow deep, to know our heritage, to know who we are and where we come from. Without this enriching knowledge, there is a hollow yearning. No matter what our attainment in life, there is still a vacuum, an emptiness, and the most disquieting loneliness”