September 15 marks the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs through October 15. This is a time to recognize and celebrate the contributions and influence of Hispanic Americans to the history, culture, and achievements of the US and our communities. Follow along with us as we celebrate our Hispanic culture all month long at Cristo Rey!

As part of Cristo Rey’s dual language curriculum, about a third of students’ classes are taught in Spanish. Spanish teacher and Cristo Rey alum, Ms. Juarez ’17, reflected on reading Spanish literature with her classes.

"Hispanic heritage month is very important to me, but also to many students within the Cristo Rey community. What makes it more appealing is the fact that there are a variety of books written by Hispanic authors. Many of these books relate to the daily lives of students. For example, freshmans are reading Senderos Fronterizos by Fransisco Jiménez. This book is an autobiography of the author Fransisco Jiménez and his struggles as a migrant worker. Coming myself from migrant parents, I in fact can relate to this book, and I feel many students do too.

Now, moving on to the sophomores they are reading short stories from amazing authors like Julio Cortázar, Ana María Matute and Juan Rulfo. Many of these short stories are not only entertaining but also demonstrate much of the traditions and cultures that as Hispanics we celebrate.

Reading Spanish literature is important because it strengthens our ability to learn more about our culture. It is an honor to read Spanish literature at Cristo Rey with my freshman and sophomores because they get to highlight and develop the skills they have as Heritage Spanish speakers."

 - Yajayra Juárez '17