Posted by Communications staff on 9/28/2021
For an audio version of this story, visit spokaneschools.org/listen
Last week at the Libby Center, a ruckus erupted from the cafeteria and reverberated through the halls of the campus.
"Viva los dragones!" "VIVA"
That ruckus is the sound of three dozen third graders from Libby’s Spanish Immersion program learning about – of all things – Mexican history and independence. Teacher Nancy Gonzales is leading the charge. She explains the students are recreating “El Grito” – or “the battle cry” – which kicks off the Independence Day celebrations south of the border every September.
"We learned about how Mexico started their independence," Nancy said, "and so in order to inspire them to go and fight and really get them motivated, they yell things like, 'Viva la independencia!' So, they're fighting for independence, they're fighting for democracy. Historically, they then relive that moment at midnight, every year. The president will come out of his balcony and he'll go through all of the heroes who fought in the war and it's a huge event. The president says all of his people, all of the ideas like democracy, honesty, quality, and then at the end, he rings the bell and then there's fireworks."
While teaching her students about the significance of “El Grito,” Nancy – whose family is from Mexico – thought her students would get a kick out of doing a Libby Center version of Mexico’s yell for independence.
"I think it is so beautiful to mix cultures. So mixing it with Mexican Independence, mixing it with Hispanic heritage and mixing it with Spokane, that's what Libby Center is. And so all that mixture is what you heard with the kids and their statements. They were so good about coming up with their own stuff, and some were silly, but it's fun."
One student yelled "Viva los derechos!" That means, "Long live human rights"
Libby’s Spanish Immersion program is one-of-a-kind in Eastern Washington, and Nancy says the fact that many of the teachers come from different Latinx backgrounds is so valuable for the students.
"This year, we hired someone who was born and raised in Venezuela. We have a colleague who's from Spain, like coming from and hearing the different Spanishes. Even from Mexico. We have people from the north of Mexico, people from the south of Mexico. People who have been here for generations in the United States and learned it from their parents or learned it from their grandparents. So just there is such opportunity because of the language piece to instill that culture."
Nancy continued: "We have been very fortunate to find people who have this background who have a linguistic and cultural experience to, to add to the richness of the program."
"Viva Spokane!" "VIVA!"
