Austin Toros Essay Contest

Students had the opportunity to be part of an essay contest to win tickets to an Austin Toros basketball game on Thursday, January 28, 2010. Congratulations to Juan, Valerie, Irie, and Arlette!

Please read their essays below:

My Real Roots
My name is Valerie and I’m going to give you my honest opinion on why I think Mexican Heritage is important to know and what I do to celebrate it.
First off I know that anyone from Mexico or has Mexican Descendants has Mexican Heritage. I have Mexican Heritage because my grandpa’s on my mother and father’s side is from Mexico. So technically I have double the decedents.
I love my heritage and I think you should, too. Whether you’re Mexican, African-American, Caucasian, pink, purple, blue, green, or yellow. I also think that celebrating your heritage is very important because I strongly agree that we all should be very very proud of who we are and what we are made of. No one should be embarrassed of who we are. Once again I think we all should show off who we are because it doesn’t matter what’s on the outside all that matters is what’s on the inside.
In my familia we celebrate Cinco de Mayo y Dias de los Muertos. We celebrate Cinco de Mayo by going with my parents to a Mexican restaurant and comer delicioso Mexican Comida. On Dias de los Muertos we celebrate by going to my grandmother’s cemetery and bringing flores y cruces. Also we eat at her famous Marketa.
Some common Mexican traditions include piñatas, Quinceañeras, Jamicas, and many other fiestas.
I decided not to hide or be embarrassed about my heritage because I think it’s important know who you are and never let anyone tell you different. Thank You!

Hi my name is Arlette and I am a student at The East Austin College Prep Academy. It is very important for me to celebrate Hispanic Heritage because it is in my blood since the day I was born and it’s my pride.

I am very proud of being Hispanic because you celebrate fun stuff and enjoy a great life. Some of the celebrations we celebrate are: El dia de los reyes, which we celebrate in January the 6th, it’s about kings who come and give you presents, you also have to buy a rosca. A rosca is a circled bread that you eat and somewhere inside the rosca there’s a little baby Jesus and if you get the baby Jesus then you have to make a party at your house. The most celebration that Hispanics celebrate is the posada, I think that that is because mostly all Hispanics are Catholics and the celebration has to do with Jesus. The celebration is like this: you have to make an altar and on the 24th of December you have to swing the baby in a little blanket for him to get to sleep. You pray during the swinging part and sing too. At the end of the swinging you have a dinner with family and they give the kids some candy bags with cookies and other stuff. Some of the foods that you eat at the posadas are: tamales, atole, and pan dulce.

I am very proud of my self because I always celebrate Hispanic heritage and never forget about it. My essay is about Hispanic Heritage. I’m Hispanic myself so I’m hoping this will be easy. Hispanic heritage month is celebrated every September 15 – October 15. I will be writing about my favorite Hispanic people.

First, there was Cesar Chavez who fought for the rights of farm workers in a non-violent way. Also, before Cesar Chavez died he actually visited my elementary school. Next, I will be talking about Edson Arantes Do Nascimento, a.k.a. Pele. To me he was the best soccer player ever. He played in 4 and won 3 World Cups. He was the star of Brazil in 1958 when he was only 17 and scored 4 goals in 6 games. Next, Diego Armando Maradona is a very famous Argentine soccer player. What made him very famous was by attracting the attention of a professional soccer team when he was 9. But also a lot of controversy. In the 1986 World Cup in Mexico he scored a goal with his hand. He called “La Mano de Dios” Spanish for “The Hand of God”. Next, there’s George Lopez a Hispanic comedian. He has a very famous saying “If life gives you lemons, you make lemonade” His biggest breakthrough was his TV show “George Lopez” (2002).

Well those are some of my favorite Hispanic people. Hispanic heritage is like celebrating your cultures for all the people who are from the Spanish speaking countries like Mexico, all of Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. Here are some Hispanic firsts. Joseph Marion Hernandez was the first Hispanic to be in Congress. U.S. representative: Romualdo Pacheco. U.S. senator: Octaviano Larrazolo and Dennis Chavez to serve an entire term. Those are just some Hispanic firsts. Some Hispanic cultures that have come to the U.S. like cowboys and Mexican food is the second most popular type of food in the U.S. That was my essay I hope you like it.

My name is Irie and I am Hispanic. I am going to tell you what Hispanic heritage month means to me and who was my inspiration. His slogan si se puedes, and what the meaning behind it was. Thank you for your time.

To me Hispanic Heritage month means a time for family and friend to get together and give thanks to one another .Hispanic Heritage month lasts to september15-october15 and through those days I think the person who inspired me was Cesar Chavez and his slogan ‘’si se puedes’’ which in English it means yes we can.

The most memorable slogan to emerge from the 2008 presidential campaign was the inspiring phrase,” yes we can.’’ Perhaps my most memorial campaign that I’ll truly remember. Certainly Osama’s used of Chavez’s charisma as expressed in his signature narrative,” yes we can”, does not bind the president to the late prophets every political position, but he has acknowledged the authorship of his slogan.

On Chavez’s birthday,(march31st) Obama released the following statement: “si se puede/yes we can” was more than an slogan, it ws an expression of hope and a rejection of those who said farm workers could not take on the growers. Through his courage, Mr. Chavez taught us that an single voice could change our country, and that together, we can make America a stronger, more just, and more respected nation.