This past month, Christopher House was thrilled to honor and recognize our Hispanic and Latinx scholars, families, staff, and community during Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 – October 15). Our month-long celebrations – featuring tasty tamales, insightful learning circles, guided scholar activities, and classroom readings – highlighted the histories of Hispanic cultures from around the world and celebrated traditions that are passed on from generation to generation.
“My culture is centered around family, and in my family, a gathering would not be complete without food! We cook and bring food that’s based on recipes that my grandparents got from their parents, and on and on it goes,” Diana Villalba, Christopher House Family Advocate shared. “It’s always really special when we can all come together to eat, listen to music, dance, and just enjoy being a family.”
Between decorating classroom doors and coloring flags from over 20 countries, Christopher House staff gathered weekly to hear personal stories from prominent members of our community, including Ricardo Villalobos, Christophr House Director of Family and Community Engagement, Frank Velez, Deputy Chief/Special Events for the Chicago Fire Department, Cristina Pacione-Zayas, First Deputy Chief of Staff in the Office of the Mayor, and Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, Alderman for Chicago’s 35th ward. Reflecting on their own past experiences and their current roles, the speakers shared how their cultures and identities have influenced who they are today and the greater impact they hope to have within our shared community.
“It’s so important for children to see people who look like them in these roles – firefighters, police officers, paramedics, doctors – for them to see the same brown skin and to be able to relate and understand that there are pathways for them,” Frank Velez shared.
Christopher House is committed to creating a culture of belonging and nurturing a positive sense of identity, both within our classroom and the surrounding community, and this begins with celebrating the diversity of our scholars, families, staff members, and neighbors.
“At Christopher House, we are working to integrate celebration and recognition of identity into our daily practice,” CEO Libby neighbors said. “These months are a special time to be intentional about learning, educating, and celebrating!”
To learn more about the history of Hispanic Heritage in the US and how it was celebrated throughout Chicago, check out the resources below:
- The history of Hispanic Heritage Month: https://www.history.com/topics/hispanic-history/hispanic-heritage-month
- Art, exhibitions, and resources highlighting historic Hispanic culture: https://americanhistory.si.edu/topics/latino-history/pages/hispanic-heritage-month-2023
- How Chicago celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month: https://www.choosechicago.com/blog/special-events/how-to-celebrate-hispanic-heritage-month-in-chicago/
- How to talk to children about racial identity and diversity:
- Anti-bias education resources: https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/nov2019/understanding-anti-bias and https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/books/anti-bias-education
