Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023
Volume 121, Issue 5
VISTA The
Women’s soccer page 6
Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2022
“OUR WORDS, YOUR VOICE.”
Volume 119, Issue 19
National Hispanic Heritage Month brings Oklahomans together
Miss & Teen Fiestas de Las Américas and Folklorico Xochpili highlighted young Latinas in Oklahoma City on Sept. 30 at Fiestas de Las Americas main stage. (AINSLEY MARTINEZ/THE VISTA)
An old-style car featuring white-walled tires and the campaign logo for Grimaldo rolled along the festival streets. (AINSLEY MARTINEZ/THE VISTA)
Sam Wargin Grimaldo (left) walks in the Fiestas de Las Americas parade with his campaign team on Sept. 30. He is running for Oklahoma Senate District 46. (AINSLEY MARTINEZ/THE VISTA)
Mariachi Orgullo de América performs on the Main Fiestas de Las Américas stage while playing guitars and wearing traditional clothing at Fiestas de Las Americas on Sept. 30. (AINSLEY MARTINEZ/THE VISTA)
Ainsley Martinez Editor Emeritus
National Hispanic Heritage Month ends Oct. 15, but many Oklahoman Latinos said they want the state’s Latin communities to remain on the radar, culturally and politically. Last Saturday, around 20,000 people celebrated Latin heritage at Fiestas de Las Américas, the largest Latin American festival in Oklahoma. The streets of S.W. 25th and Harvey transformed into colorful pathways of culture, connecting multiple Latin countries through dance, food and music.
Community leaders came together to celebrate their cultures, and encourage more involvement in Southside Oklahoma City outside of Hispanic Heritage Month, and keep the momentum going. Sam Wargin Grimaldo, currently running for the Oklahoma Senate District 46 seat, walked in the parade with his campaign team. He said showing up at nonpolitical events helps educate new voters by meeting them where they already are. “Capitol Hill is through and through where I’m from and where I want to be,” Wargin Grimaldo said. He said more state leaders need
to focus on involving Oklahoman Latinos in decision-making, and building more avenues for success, including accessible information and infrastructure. Down the street from the festival, a local venue and bar hosted an intimate event for customers to practice Spanish through art. Cruz Pulido, an Oklahoma City Community College student and filmmaker, visited the venue, Resonant Head, to support Latino businesses while spending time with his friends. He said the simple act of supporting a Latino-owned business can make a large impact on an individual’s lives.
Pulido said he appreciates National Hispanic Heritage Month because it brings more recognition to the local communities and businesses, but he hopes the month inspires Oklahomans to educate themselves on different Latin countries and cultures. “It’s time for us to highlight those people in our community who are making a change,” Pulido said. Various organizations will continue hosting Hispanic heritage events throughout the month, and into November for the Mexican holiday Dia De Los Muertos. For more information on Hispanic Heritage Month events, visit travelok.com.
Ryan Walters’ proposed budget seeks to take schools ‘back to basics’ Jake Ramsey Managing Editor
Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters and members of the state Board of Education passed a $150 million budget plan on Thursday, which will see a competitive pay raise for teachers and tutors across the state. “We will be rolling out a ‘Back to Basics Academic Plan’ as a part of an immediate action,” said Walters.
The plan would focus on funding areas such as math, reading and civics, as well as feature a performance-based pay increase to teachers. Due to Walters’ new plan, $38 million would go into reading, $11.4 million would go into math, and around $800,000 would go into civics. “What I’ve seen in our schools is focus taken away from the basics,” said Walters. The plan’s competitive pay-raise would include an ad-
Supporters and protestors share words outside the Board of Education meeting. (JAYDON SIMS/THE VISTA)
Ryan Walters addresses the room with his new plan for education. (JAYDON SIMS/THE VISTA)
ditional $15 million for bonuses for teachers that showed student-proficiency in reading and $5 million for bonuses for teachers that showed student-proficiency in math. The program also features additional funding to programs to train teachers and tutors in those subjects, as well as other subjects such as civics. Walters’ budget requests for 2025 come in at $47 million less than the approved 2024 budget, which he says, “When
we see President Biden pushing his rampant inflation across the country and our state, I don’t believe it would be responsible of us to come in after a record investment from the legislature last year and ask for additional money on what they’ve already sent us.” The plan would still need to pass through the Legislature in order to go into effect.