By Leslie Fuentes
Public Communications
On September 25, Humble High School invited the community to its second annual Hispanic Heritage Night.
The event was created in response to the growing population of Hispanic students at Humble High School. Principal Dairus Cosby and the LOTE department wanted to find a way to celebrate the diverse multicultural identities represented on their campus.
“We asked our students and parents to share aspects of their cultures that others may not have been exposed to, giving everyone a taste of what it feels like to be in their country,” Cosby said. “Our goal is to include everyone and represent a variety of countries within the Hispanic community so that we can appreciate and celebrate our differences.”
The event, organized by the Humble High School LOTE (Languages Other than English) Department, offered a great variety of food from countries like Venezuela, Mexico and El Salvador. Traditional student performances included Humble High School’s Mariachi los Tres Gatos, an Afro-Venezuelan music group and Tribal dance performances.
Humble High School Spanish teacher Nidia Espinoza said that when the LOTE department hosted the event for the first time last school year, their goal was to create a diverse event that would bring the community together and get students and parents more involved.
“We want our Hispanic students to take pride in their heritage while also allowing our non-Hispanic students to learn about Hispanic culture,” Espinoza said. “It’s important for all our students to feel seen and valued. We want them to recognize that their culture is appreciated and celebrated, and that they have our full support.”
Janeth Gudino, team leader of the Humble High School LOTE Department, and Assistant Principal Saul Tapia, noted how their team strived to make this year’s Hispanic Heritage Night “bigger and better” than last year’s.
“We really did not think that it would become such a big event,” Gudino said. “Last year, we realized we needed to make this year's event bigger and better. Everyone looked so happy, and people noticed that this year’s celebration had so much more to offer. It took a lot of work, but the entire school came together as a community to make it happen.”
Members of the Humble community, along with students and staff from across the campus, all contributed to the celebration. The on-site vendors were local, including some parents of the students and alumni.
This year's quinceañera dress runway and waltz showcased 13 students in traditional gowns, up from just three participants last year.
“Some of the girls who performed in the quinceañera dance today had never experienced a quinceañera celebration themselves, while those who did have the opportunity got to wear their dresses again,” Espinoza said.
Beyond celebrating Hispanic heritage, the Annual Hispanic Heritage Night is also intended to bring the community together.
“We want our students to come together as one community,” Gudino said. “We have students from Venezuela, Mexico, Costa Rica, and many other countries. Our goal is to create an environment where everyone feels they truly belong.”