COVER
THE WOOSTER BLADE | OCT. 8, 2021 | PAGE 5
Celebrating and the importance of
Hispanic Heritage Month
MAYA GALINDO-BENSON staff writer National Hispanic Heritage Month falls between Sept. 15 and Oct. 15 of every year. The tradition of celebrating Hispanic Heritage in the United States started in the late 1960s, and, according to a hispanicheritagemonth.gov article, the month was enacted into law on Aug. 17, 1988. Hispanic Heritage Month honors the histories and cultures of people descended from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America, as well as the contributions that they have made to American society.
There are many reasons that it is important to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and understand its history. Denise Broda, Foreign Language Dept. member said, “I think it is really important for us to learn about the culture and the history, and it is also important for the Latinos to be able to celebrate and to be recognized.” Although Hispanic Heritage Month is a way to celebrate a culture that is very prevalent in the United States and the history of people in this group, it is also a way to appreciate identity. Alessandro Herrada (12) said, “I think it’s important because it is a good way to express oneself, something to show how proud someone may be to be Hispanic because it really is something to be proud of.” One’s culture really is something to be celebrated and honored, so Hispanic Heritage Month appreciates the Hispanic culture and the Hispanic people. The culture, like any, has its own set of values that make it special and have helped influence American society.
“The importance of family, the importance of the group over the individual is often something that I think is special about personal identity in the Hispanic culture,” Broda said. The value of family is very important in Hispanic culture and also helps to allow for a sense of identity. Soledad Benítez, a woman in the Wooster community from Ecuador, working at the OARDC described that the Hispanic/ Latinx group and traditions are not only a culture, but also make up people’s identities and allow for a sense of individuality. “It becomes part of who we are. Those small traditions, recipes, sweets, stories, music and language stay with us as we grow up, as we move to other places, and as we experience other cultures as well,” Benítez said. All the small traditions that help make up the hispanic culture help make up people’s individual identities and are the reason that Hispanic Heritage should be recognized and celebrated.
Doha Heat, an acclaimed podcast on iTunes, provides listeners with authentic stories about life in Qatar, told by the people living there. According to TheGoodTrade.com, Doha Heat, “offers a behind-thescenes look at the culture and social norms in this Middle Eastern country” for anyone who wants to widen their views on other cultures.
Resources to learn about other cultures MATTIE DUNLAP AND GRACE KOSTOHRYZ staff writers
Horizontal Vertigo, by Juan Villoro, is a nonfiction book that takes its readers on a journey through the largest Spanish-speaking city: Mexico City. As stated in penguinrandomhouse.com, “... (Villoro) reveals, in all its multitudinous glory the vicissitudes and triumphs of the city ’s cultural, political and social history.”
A website called globtrottinkids.com aimed towards a younger demographic provides its users with global learning activities and resources to learn about the world around them. Users of globetrottinkids.com are able to choose what category they want to learn about, then view a list of websites to further their knowledge of that particular topic.
Breaking gender norms in pop culture sets standards LUKE POMFRET co-editor-in-chief In society, there are plenty of gender norms that children are taught. Parents lecture their children that men should not wear a dress, and they should not cry. Women are traditionally taught to aspire to marriage, but the same can not be said for men. Fortunately, some celebrities change the narrative and challenge society’s expectations of men and women. The most recognized trendsetter, who has reinvented herself over multiple decades, is Madonna.
Madonna first caused controversy with her depictions of biblical allusions and provocative references. Her hit single, “Vogue,” sparked a movement in pop culture in the 1990s. Thousands of fans tried to mimic her dances used initially in only the underground ballroom scene worldwide. Madonna is highly prized because of her authenticity and courage to challenge social norms. In recent years, Lil Nas X has skyrocketed his career from songwriter to poster child for individuality. Lil Nas X was initially known for his hit single, “Old Town
Road,” released in December of 2018. Everyone was obsessed with the song, and Lil Nas grew a fanbase. On June 30, 2019, Lil Nas X came out as a gay man and broke the record of the longest time an LGBTQ+ artist had a no.1 song on the Billboard Top 100 Hits. “Old Town Road” held the number one spot for 16 consecutive weeks. Lil Nas X made a striking appearance as he walked the red carpet for the 2021 Video Music Awards. Christian Allaire, fashion and style writer at Vogue, describes Nas’s outfit, by stating: ”The musician’s crystal-covered look, designed by Versace, featured
the structured shape of a mensy tuxedo blazer and trousers, yet had a swath of trailing fabric on the left which acted like the elegant train of a dress. The soft, lavender hue all over was an unexpected color choice, but proved to be surprisingly fresh when set against the dazzling studs of jewels overtop. The star also gets bonus points for matching his square-toe boots perfectly to the look. If the VMAs were to ever have a Prom King? It would definitely be him.” Another current artist who has caused controversy over breaking gender norms is Harry Styles.
Styles posed in a dress for the cover of Vogue for their Dec. 2020 issue. Styles captioned, in an Instagram photo of the Vogue cover , “Bring back manly men.” Styles later told Vogue: ”Clothes are there to have fun with and experiment with and play with… What’s really exciting is that all of these lines are just kind of crumbling away... once you remove any barriers, obviously you open up the arena in which you can play.” There will always be representation in pop culture focusing on individuality and fostering a love for all.
