The 2015 Hispanic Heritage Month Assembly for both the Middle and Upper Schools was held on Oct. 7, 2015, in honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month. Presented by the D-E student club INSPIRE (Introducing New Solutions to Promote Integrity & Respect Everywhere) and the School's Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA), this year's program featured the journeys of six prominent Hispanic and Latino Americans, as well as two D-E faculty members and a student. The figures’ stories were accompanied by videos, while the three in the D-E community shared their own.

INSPIRE co-presidents Leslie Moreaux '16 and Nevien Swailmyeen '16 opened the assembly with a quick background of National Hispanic Heritage Month, which is observed annually from September 15 to October 15. Later in the program, Leslie also shared her own story of growing up Dominican-American - the hyphen being an important distinction as she was not born and raised in the Dominican Republic. Instead, Leslie was exposed to and maintained her culture through the traditions her family observed while she was growing up in New York City: music (gaga, palo), dance (bachata, merengue) & food (sancocho, empanadas/pastelitos).

Middle School Spanish teacher Romualdo Bautista, of the Mixtec tribe in Oaxaca, Mexico, provided a slideshow with his personal narrative, while Upper School Spanish teacher Karina Hernández spoke of her journey from Costa Rica and how her family “did not melt, but rather became part of the mosaic of what makes the US”. After discussing a variety of highlights from her native country - from the flora to the weather, the folklore to the holidays - Srta. Hernández acknowledged that living in the US provides a cultural platform for “continuous learning and checking of balances”.

Several INSPIRE members, along with two faculty members, read the stories of the six Hispanic/Latino American individuals - some more well-known than others. Chris Victor '17 presented the history of Cuban native and actor Desi Arnaz; Claudine Chartouni '16 spoke about Staten Island-born folk singer Joan Baez, whose father Albert moved to Brooklyn from Puebla, Mexico, when he was 2; and Michelle Rowicki '16 introduced Puerto Rican baseball legend Roberto Clemente before a short video was shown. Arlene Mendez '17 presented the history behind Bolivian-born, California-based educator Jaime Escalante, while Upper School Spanish teacher Dori Levin '93 shared the story of New Mexico-born civil rights activist Dolores Huerta, who coined the United Farm Workers’ motto “Si se puede” in 1972 along with her UFW co-founder César Chávez. To close the program, OMA director Clinton Carbon discussed the achievements of Dr. Ellen Ochoa, a pioneer in the field of aeronautics and space as she was not only the first Latina American astronaut but also the first Hispanic director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center.

Questions about the OMA and diversity initiatives at D-E can be directed to Clinton Carbon by Email at: carboc@d-e.org.