Attendees checked-in with eachother,had a cultural share-out, and enjoyed a quick round of Latinx trivia. During the cultural share-out, members explained the value of items from their culture. Ilia's item was the Pilon which is a Puerto Rican wood mortar with a wooden pestle used as a kitchen tool to mash up ingredients such as garlic. The pilon was used by her grandmother and was passed down to her mother. When Ilia uses the pilon, she reminisces about her grandmother's cooking and plans to pass the tradition to her daughters. Items shared by other members originated from various places like Paraguay, Spain, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Ecuador, and Mexico. Each item was special and had sentimental value. Community is very important to this group, and this was one way for them to connect outside of school hours and share cultural stories they have in common. The Latinx/Hispanic Affinity Group plans to meet for more social gatherings throughout Trimester 2 and 3.

If you have any questions or are interested in participating, please contact the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion’s Assistant Ilia Castro (ilia_castro@dalton.org).

Story submitted by Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion’s Assistant Ilia Castro