From Sept. 15 through Oct. 15, Hispanic accomplishments, histories, cultures and more are celebrated around the country in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month. 

As a Hispanic-American myself, I’ve seen these strides firsthand; I’ve witnessed the histories as they unfold, and I believe our culture deserves recognition.

Welcome to The Appalachian’s first Hispanic Heritage Month special section. I, along with the rest of our staff, would like to dedicate this special section to telling the stories of Hispanic culture on campus and in Boone.

This special section is for those who identify as Hispanic/Latino, to those who are first-gen students, to those who came to this country with nothing and built the foundation for you and your families, and to those who are kind enough to simply appreciate our cultures.

We recognize that Boone is home to many Spanish speakers who either only or primarily speak the language, and some of these stories feature them. To ensure we are reaching our audiences, The Appalachian is bringing back Spanish-translated stories on our website, something we unfortunately stopped producing back in 2020.

In addition, this special section of this issue is also available in Spanish. If you would like a copy of these pages fully in Spanish, please feel free to stop by The Appachian’s newsroom at room 235 in Plemmons Student Union or contact outreach@theappalachian.com.

In this special section, we use the terms Latino/Latina when referring to the community. Alternative, gender-neutral phrases, such as Latinx and Latine, are also used to describe Latin American communities; but for the purpose of clarity and consistency we are refraining from using these terms. Although conversations regarding gender-neutrality in the Spanish language are valid and important, we are choosing to use Latino/Latina because the terms are familiar to all Spanish-speakers. 

We would also like to show our appreciation for the Advancing DEI Grant Program through the Office of Diversity at App State, which has given us the opportunity to print copies in Spanish.

Finally, I would like to thank members of The Appalachian, members of the Latin Hispanic Alliance, and others who came in and offered their help in translating. We couldn’t have made this special section without you. 

Thank you reader, for picking up our first Hispanic Heritage themed issue, and for supporting not only student journalism, but for supporting the Hispanic/Latino community of the High Country and beyond. We hope this issue either introduces you to our culture or makes you feel seen and heard.

Jenna Guzman

Editor-in-Chief 2023-24

Para leer en español hace clic aquí