Dumas Middle School celebrated National Hispanic Heritage Month October 4, 2023.
National Hispanic Heritage month is held The program began with the presentation of colors by Dylan Vazquez and Angel Magana. Jocelyn Ramirez led the pledge of Allegiance. Principal Lawarn Rodgers welcomed everyone to the program. Students and parents attended the program watching a video presentation on understanding Hispanic Heritage.
Students gave presentations on a dozen Hispanic people in history including poet Gary Soto by Christopher Hernandez; baseball player Roberto Clemente by Jose Lopez; Mexican painter Diego Rivera by Mateo Vallejo; American labor leader and civil rights activist Cesar Chavez by Uriel Gutierrez; Mexican-American engineer and former NASA astronaut Jose M. Hernandez; Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor by Dolores Huerta; American engineer, former astronaut and former director of the Johnson Space Center Ellen Ochoa; Mexican painter Frida Khalo and Argentine professional footballer Lionel Messi.
Flores Tsitskis, Yenifer Sanchez, Suset, Maria Acuchi, and Idalia Leon of Star City danced a Folklorico Dance. The dancers meet on their own time to practice dances from their culture.
Keynote speaker, Helen Barajas, with CASA, gave a speech on the importance of culture, speaking multiple languages, getting an education and how it could help their careers. She talked about how being multilingual has helped her in her work helping children and families who need help.
The Dumas Junior High band students danced to the Macarena and the Spanish version of Achy Breaky Heart.
This is the first time for DMS to host a program for National Hispanic Heritage Month. The program was put together by Principal Rogers and organized by DMS staff members Maria Lopez, Nelida Gamez and Cristina Chavez.
Rogers said hosting programs to help educate students about different cultures. The school also celebrated other history dates and months including Cinco de Mayo and Black History Month. This will be a continued event for years to come.
“I want our scholars to know that we appreciate their culture. We appreciate the effort they make in order to help us understand. We want to honor that, because Hispanic Heritage Month is American history,” Principal Rogers said.
She thanked the parents for providing homemade Chicarrones for the students after the program. They served refreshments of cake and punch to participating students, teachers and visitors.
