The DC Charter School Alliance Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month

By Ariel Johnson, Executive Director

Today kicks off Hispanic Heritage Month! This month is an opportunity to honor the resilience and strength of Latinx communities and celebrate Latinx cultures here in DC and across the country. Hispanic Heritage Month is marked with festivals, art shows, community gatherings, and much more. This month also celebrates the independence of several Latin American countries, including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua, Mexico and Chile.

We have a vibrant and growing Hispanic community in our city; in fact, more than one in 10 DC residents are Hispanic. You don’t need to look far to see the diversity and contributions from our Hispanic friends and neighbors in our daily lives, reflected in our language, cuisine, music, sports, and media.

We’re especially proud of those impacts in our public charter schools, which serve more than 8,000 Hispanic and Latinx students. Many of these schools offer immersive language programs to learn English and Spanish, from a young age to adulthood. Others provide education to our diverse adult immigrant populations through workforce development and support services. And, student graduates from public charter schools often go on to be small business owners, teachers, public servants, and much more.

We’re grateful for schools like DC Bilingual PCS, Briya PCS, LAMB PCS, Carlos Rosario International PCS, Cesar Chavez PCS, and Mundo Verde PCS who focus on these priorities. And we’re also grateful for the Hispanic leaders, principals, teachers, and staff who are pillars of our communities, make our schools stronger, and are committed to ensuring every student has the opportunity to receive a high-quality public education.

If you are looking to celebrate or educate yourself on the history or present of Hispanic communities, please attend one of the many learning and cultural events the District offers. And don’t forget to patronize a local Latinx-owned business!

Here’s a list of all the ways to celebrate or learn more around DC this month.