Prairie High School

Hispanic Heritage Month at Prairie brings students together

Sept. 29, 2023

Students involved in Prairie High School’s multicultural club are thinking big. Last year, students received approval to hold the school’s first-ever multicultural assembly near the end of the year. They used it as an opportunity to share the various cultures at the school through song and dance.

“A lot of students were nervous about being involved in the multicultural assembly, because it was the first time we’d done it,” said Alexandra Caballero, a senior and current president of the school’s Latino Student Union. “But by the time it was over, everyone wanted to join in.”

This year, membership in the Latino Student Union has nearly doubled to more than 40 students at an average meeting, Caballero says. For Hispanic American Heritage Month, which runs from mid-September through Oct. 15, students have set up a large display in the school’s commons area, including information on Latino leaders throughout U.S. history.

“I feel like the student body is getting used to it now, trying to involve themselves more,” said Katie Cruz, a junior. “It just feels nice to be able to show off our culture without being judged or discriminated against.”

At Prairie, clubs like the Latino Student Union, Black Student Union and a new group this year created by Asian American students operate under the larger umbrella of the multicultural club. The student unions meet separately, but also as the larger multicultural group.

“Once we come together as the multicultural club, it’s really as friends who are able to talk about everything,” said Alex Carrillo, a junior. “It’s not about creating cliques. At the end of the day, it’s about being friends with everybody and being able to learn from each other.”

“We call it the Latino Student Union because we’re teaching people about our culture,” Cruz said. “We want it to be a learning experience for everyone.”

Carrillo said he’s hoping to continue growing the club and acceptance for the various cultures at Prairie. “I feel like we made history at this school,” he said. “We did this and now it’s going to be a tradition for a long time.”