The arts help students see themselves

“Everybody has their own culture and things they love the most about it. If kids see things from their culture at school, they’ll learn they should love who they are and where they came from.”

These wise words were spoken by Sherlyn, a 4th-grade student at Eagle View Elementary School, whose family immigrated to the United States from Mexico several years ago. Sherlyn and her classmates recently enjoyed a performance by Kalpulli KetzalCoatlicue. Ketzel, as they are known to many, is a community of people joined by the desire to learn, share, and live the traditional Aztec dance. They are led by COMPAS Teaching Artist Susana De Leon.  

As the students walked back to their classroom after the performance, Sophia, one of Sherlyn’s classmates, shared something with their teacher, Kimberly Hoppert. “Mrs. Hoppert, when the dancers started dancing today, Sherlyn’s eyes filled up with tears,” Sophia told her. “Yeah, wasn’t it so beautiful?” responded Mrs. Hoppert, who later described the conversation to us. “I assumed Sherlyn was responding with tears because it was such a well-done presentation, but Sharlyn said, ‘No! I had tears in my eyes because these are my people!’ It was so sweet to see her see herself represented in the building and how much that meant to her. It was really special.” 

When asked about the performance and her tears, Sherlyn explained: “I was really happy to see people in my culture dancing. I don’t really see people here who are from Mexico. I loved how they were dancing. I felt like I was somewhere where I could be myself. I loved to see people from my own culture and how they were speaking Spanish. I really liked all of it and almost started crying.” 

Kalpulli KetzalCoatlicue

A community of people joined by the desire to learn, share, and live the traditional Aztec dance

Susana understands exactly what Sherlyn is talking about, and she and the other Ketzel dancers work hard to create connections among cultures in their performances. “We present ourselves and our culture in a way that is readily accessible by explaining where we came from, where the dances originate, the stories they tell, and what the regalia represents. We present what we believe in a way that people can relate to it.” 

She noted about the performance at Eagle View: “There was great surprise and awe, along with interest and curiosity. I would say the audience was hungry for more of the learning, more of the dance. They were dazzled by the feathers. I saw them paying attention and immersing themselves in the explanation. Very respectful. Very smart questions. Oftentimes, when we go places as people of color, our presence is tokenized. But when these kids came in, their eyes and smiles were so big. They sat down and started clapping and tapping their legs on their own. It was just magical. There was something special in that school. They were just ready. And the teachers around them were smiling.” 

“This experience taught me the value of bringing in diverse populations and different cultures to make the students from them feel more appreciated,” Mrs. Hoppert said. “That was the first thing I said in my email to our principal after the event. I told him we need to do more things like this for these kids so they can see themselves here. I want to do this for everyone. I want everyone to see themselves here.”  

Multiple research studies say the importance of students seeing themselves in what they learn at school cannot be underestimated. It’s a key part of their social development, one that helps them understand their place in society. The books and content students are exposed to in school (like the performance by Ketzel) play a powerful role in identity formation. Including multicultural content in classrooms is particularly critical to helping children construct their identities and feel like valued members of society.  

Sherlyn offered a similar sentiment. 

“Kids should know that whoever they are, they should love who they are, and they shouldn’t just try to blend in and hide their culture,” she said. “When I was little, I didn’t like my culture. Then I learned to love my culture. I feel like schools everywhere should have these kinds of events because some kids feel that if their culture isn’t the same as other people's, they don’t belong. I’ve heard other kids say they don’t see anyone who has their type of culture except for their family. If kids see things from their own culture, they’ll love their culture and see that it’s beautiful.” 

Thank you, Sherlyn, for sharing your amazing insights with us! We agree and are proud to share your words of wisdom with the world. Every student should see the beauty of themselves and their culture in their school.