“We give them space to tell their stories and where they come from. We talk about everything from identity formation to the lasting effects of colonization. We discuss the meaning of the American Dream, code-switching, stereotypes, and assimilation, as well as lesser-known stories about important people of color. We prepare our students with a critical mindset …” Emilio Solano, Teach for America member & middle school teacher, on the impact of ethnic studies programs 

September 15 kicks off #HispanicHeritageMonth. At the Korematsu Institute, we believe the fight for justice, racial equity, and human rights begins with education. All of our stories are important. There is no place more important than the public education classroom for sharing the truths, histories, and voices of all peoples. The Hispanic and Latino communities have shaped American history from its foundation and continue to shape the future with people like journalist Jorge Ramos, the “Walter Cronkite of Latin American Television,” and activist Emma Gonzales who survived a school shooting and advocates for gun law reform.

Prejudice is rooted in ignorance. We all need to make a concerted effort to educate others on the dangers of racism and teach everyone to respect and appreciate our differences. At the end of the day, we are all Americans and it dilutes the effectiveness of our democracy when we crack along racial lines. This is why we advocate for ethnic studies curriculum in all 50 states. If ethnic studies is done right, it has the potential to teach all of us to love deeply, to fight hard, and to stand in solidarity with communities of color and their movements for justice. When we are drawn into hate speech, destructive rhetoric, and outdated ideology, we cannot focus on the issues to strengthen our society for all Americans. We owe this to our youth.

This month we hope you learn more and honor the people, culture, and contributions of our Hispanic communities across the United States. If you would like to learn more about it and why it kicks off mid-month (one reason is that it is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua), you can visit: https://www.hispanicheritagemonth.gov/

And learn more about Hispanic contributions to the American story from Cesar Chavez, Dolores Huerta, and the start of the United Farm Workers (UFW) labor union to the politics in art like to work created by David Alfaro Siqueiros to the history of how Puerto Rico became an unincorporated U.S. territory here: https://www.hispanicheritagemonth.gov/for-teachers.html