MILWAUKEE – Milwaukee Public Schools hosted a Hispanic heritage month event Saturday focusing on the connection between the Latino community and African culture.
At South Division High School students from 17 MPS schools showcased more than a dozen interactive displays to educate visitors on how influential African ancestry and tradition has been to Latinos worldwide.
“We are Black, white and Indian and all that beautiful culture is the connection that we are,” Greenfield Bilingual School Subdirector Jason Gonzales said. “The enrichment, that’s the beautiful—everything that we represent, and we like to show our roots and we are proud of it.”
It’s learning experience MPS School Support Teacher Maria Colon said has pushed her students to recognize the African heritage rooted in their own home countries.
"Learning more about this-how the Africans got a really important role in their own country was very eye wakening and interesting to them,” she explained.
Colon said it’s about making connections that can be seen through food, dance and clothing that go beyond race or even a shared language but instead are tied in tradition.