Home to over 3.1 million residents speaking over 108 languages, Orange County is as culturally diverse as they come. With such a richness in heritage, however, inevitably comes the challenge of representation — how can we ensure that no one group gets left behind?
It’s a problem that affects many institutions and once upon a time, La Quinta High School was no exception. Since the expansion of the Latinos Unidos club and introduction of a ballet folklórico dance team, however, this is no longer the case.
On Tuesday, April 8th, I spoke with a few dancers during their afterschool practice as they prepared for an upcoming performance. The room was lively. The students danced and laughed, working and playing hard. There’s community here, albeit small. It is a different world than co-captain Rebecca Arellano entered into her first year.
“I felt invisible,” Rebecca recalled. “Like Hispanic culture wasn’t something really thought about.”…