In The Classroom:

Mexican Independence Day is considered to be one of the largest celebrations of its kind in the world.

Every Sept. 16, hundreds of thousands of people gather in the capital city’s zocalo — or city center — to hear the president proclaim independence, or Grito de Dolores — the Cry of Dolores. The event commemorates the battle cry of Miguel Hidalgo on Sept. 16, 1810, the day Mexico declared its independence from Spain.

Hoover High School junior Claudia Gonzalez, president of the school’s La Voz Latina Club, gave a five-minute presentation to her classmates Friday on the holiday’s significance. And, as one of her goals of the presentation, Gonzalez hopes her classmates will feel a sense of appreciation for other cultures, while at the same time, open their eyes to their own heritage.

“Your culture represents yourself and represents how you act and how you dress,” said club Vice President Robert Vila, 17, whose family is from Bolivia. “Culture is a really important part of everybody’s life.”

Students Talk Back

The Glendale News-Press visited a meeting of the La Voz Latina Club at Hoover High School, where a presentation by club President Claudia Gonzalez was being given on Mexican Independence Day. We asked the club members: “Why is it important to learn about your heritage?”

“It’s important because you get to know how it was back then.”

JANET TOLENTINO, 14

“You get to preserve whatever you think is yours. Actually, it is yours, because you come from that background.”

ARVIN YOSEFIAN, 17

“Your heritage is your culture. It’s better to find out about your language and your heritage, too.”

DANIEL ALCANTARA, 16

"Pretty much, it’s all about where you came from, so obviously you should know about it.”

CARLOS TRIGUEROS, 17