GERRARDSTOWN — Gerrardstown Elementary School put together a special presentation for Hispanic Heritage Month on Thursday to teach students more about the culture.
The school invited Ana Forsythe to talk about her recent trip to Guatemala. Students learned more about the country and got to see handmade items Forsythe brought home.
Forsythe traveled to Guatemala to visit with family and celebrate her great uncle’s 100th birthday. Her trip just happened to coincide with Hispanic Heritage Month, so her friend, Barbara Ferguson, principal of Gerrardstown Elementary School, invited her to speak to the students.
Forsythe believes it’s important for students to remember their culture.
“Most of these students are at least second- or third-generation Americans,” Forsythe said. “Being born in another country and getting used to the culture here makes it easy for them to forget where they’re from. I think it’s important to remember their culture, because that’s where the heart is.”
Forsythe talked about the history of Guatemala and the Mayan ruins found throughout the country. Though Guatemala is around the size of Tennessee, it’s also home to 30 volcanoes, three of them still being active. Forsythe also brought in some of the things she brought back from Guatemala, such as handmade table runners, leather bags and pottery, and even showed the students some Guatemalan currency.
Though Forsythe was born and raised in the United States, going to Guatemala was a special experience for her and her family. To her, it felt like she was visiting home. The people were humble and hardworking and reminded her of how proud she is to be Guatemalan.
She hopes to encourage students to learn more about their own culture and feel the same pride in where their family comes from.
“Most of you have been born and raised here in America, but I wanted to encourage those who might have a different heritage,” Forsythe said to the students. “I like to tell people this — ‘Love the country you’re in, but never forget where you’re from.’ It’s what makes you unique and is a special part of who you are.”
At the end of the presentation, each student received a worry doll, which comes from a legend of a princess who prayed to the gods and was given a doll. By placing the doll under her pillow before she fell asleep, the princess found a solution to her situation. In the same way, people use the worry doll today to take away their worries and find a way to deal with the problem.