September 15 marked the start of Hispanic Heritage Month, a celebration of Hispanic and Latinx history, culture, and contributions to the U.S. This year, De Colores worked with the DEI office to plan programming. The school’s celebration included chapel talks by Hispanic and Latinx students, posters celebrating famous Hispanic and Latinx people, and a panel in All-School featuring local immigrants.
De Colores kicked off the celebrations with three chapel talks by Nicholas Lucana ’26, Alessandro Araujo ’26 and Val Castro ’27. Each speaker shared personal stories about their heritage and encouraged students to appreciate the contributions of Hispanic and Latinx community members. Araujo said, “It’s not Hispanic History month. Hispanic Heritage month is about celebrating what we have now. To focus on the history and neglect what Hispanics are doing now is to do a disservice to our community.”
On September 24, Dr. Gerardo Molinari, instructor in Spanish and assistant director of DEI, and Mr. Alex Forero, instructor in Spanish, facilitated a panel entitled, “Stories of Immigration and Resilience of Our Latino Community.” Mr. Forero translated for local residents Ms. Sofía Pérez, Mr. Iván Carrera, and Mr. Enrique Pérez, who shared stories of their experiences as immigrants.
Through tears, Ms. Pérez recounted her journey from Venezuela and her experience in a detention center after entering the U.S. She now works at the White Hart Inn in Salisbury, CT and has legal status. Mr. Carrerra described spending over two days without food or water and over ten hours packed into the back of a truck on his journey to the U.S. He now owns three local restaurants, including the Avocado Café in Millerton, NY. Mr. Pérez left Venezuela and is now assistant supervisor of housekeeping at the school. In his comments, he reminded students that they have traveled from all over the world looking for better education and quality of life, just as many immigrants have.
Jose Jimenez ’26, board member of De Colores, said, “It is not easy to stand in front of a crowd and share such personal experiences. Their courage and resilience is something that I hope everyone finds inspiring.”
Mr. Daymyen Layne, director of DEI, said, “Nationally, the contributions of Latinos are profound, with significant impacts in education, business, and culture. Yet, despite these contributions, many within the community continue to face challenges such as discrimination and immigration hardships.”
De Colores will hold a number of upcoming events, including El Grito (“The Scream”—a celebration marking the beginning of the Mexican fight for independence from Spain), salsa lessons, a fundraiser in the FFC, and a dance on October 5.
