2024 Latine Heritage Month at SSFS

SSFS Celebrates Latine Heritage Month

For the first Heritage Month celebration of the year, Sandy Spring Friends School seeks to recognize the many contributions of the Latine Community both on campus and in the world. Not only does our school community benefit from the myriad contributions of Latine adults and students, but US history is filled with contributions from the Latine community which have served to enrich and grow our country. Members of the Latine community continue to shape our nation as business owners, activists, artists, public servants, and more. From serving in the U.S. military to being champions in the fight for civil rights, Latinas and Latinos remain strong leaders and changemakers.

September 15 through October 15 marks Latine Heritage Month—also known as Hispanic Heritage Month—which honors and celebrates the vibrant histories, cultures, languages, traditions, values, and contributions of people whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. 

The yearly observation began while the American Civil Rights Movement was in full swing in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week and became a month-long celebration in 1988. September 15 was chosen as the start date because it is the independence day of five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, and Nicaragua. All five countries won liberation in 1812. Three more countries follow. Mexico celebrates its independence on September 16, followed by Chile on September 18, and Belize on September 21. 

Latine vs. Hispanic

The recent non-gendered term Latine is derived from the terms Latino and Latina which were created to describe Americans with Latin American and Caribbean heritage. Latine includes people from Brazil and the Caribbean. The term Hispanic was created by the US federal government in the 1970s to classify Americans who are a part of the Spanish-speaking diaspora. This narrower term excludes people from Brazil, Belize, and other non-Spanish-speaking Latin American countries. 

While we seek to celebrate these cultures, here at SSFS, we recognize that even two terms are not enough to classify the diverse array of cultures that exist in Latin America. We recognize the many indigenous cultures and those who are Afro-Latinidad who do not identify with these terms.

Latine Heritage Month at SSFS

Our teachers and learners have explored Latine culture through academic work with the Global Languages Department, service trips, and Intersession programming. This year our theme is Folklore and Legends. We will explore Latine myths throughout the community including a display with featured books in the Library and a presentation from our Upper School Hispanic/Latine Affinity Group.

Members of the Upper School Hispanic/Latine Affinity Group also took the opportunity of our first All-School Assembly of the school year (Sep. 17) to introduce Latine Heritage Month with a peace-themed presentation about Guatemalan human rights activist, feminist, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Rigoberta Menchú Tum. Following their presentation, Middle and Upper School Vocal Music students performed "Paz y Libertad." 

Please watch your Divisional Newsletter (for families) or The Pulse (for employees) and other school communications for more information and resources from the Office of Institutional Equity, Justice, and Belonging throughout the month and during the rest of the school year!