The priceless worth of a picture: our Hispanic Heritage Month reflection
Some pictures are worth a thousand words. This one is priceless to us.
Its story began over a decade ago with one line in an opinion editorial by Sandy Vargas, then president of the Minneapolis Foundation.
A statistic: Minnesota was ranked dead last for on-time graduation rates for Latine students.
That wasn’t just a number to us. It was a call to action.
We looked at our own debate league and saw a similar story. While Latine students made up 18% of the district, they were only 9% of our debaters. An entire community of voices was going unheard simply because speech and debate had always been done one way: in English.
We knew that had to change.
So, with advice from school- and community-wide focus groups and a national debate topic focused on Latin America as our opening, we launched a bold idea: Debate en Español.
It started as a spark, powered by dedicated teachers, families, and volunteers. Soon, it grew into a fire. A groundswell of support came from everywhere: Spanish-speaking lawyers, educators, and business leaders showed up to judge tournaments. Graduates of the program returned to coach. Alumni began writing the curriculum, not just for us, but for a growing national movement.
Today, that fire burns brighter than ever.
From that 9% gap, we now serve a HIGHER percentage of Latino students in our program than the district as a whole. And they aren’t just participating. They’re leading the nation.
This spring, MPS Roosevelt High School’s Kuyllur C. and Jose V. made history, battling to the finals at the first-ever National Debate en Español Championship. They met Governor Tim Walz at our Mayors Challenge (pictured), who shared his congratulations.
The national legacy of our Debate en Español program, 300+ students strong, is just beginning. Como Park’s brand new team, Juliana and Andres C., just won their qualifier and are now heading to the National Championship at Harvard University in Spring 2026!
This #HispanicHeritageMonth, our message is for every Latine debater: past, present, and future. Whether Spanish is your first language or the heritage you are reclaiming, your words have a home here.
Welcome home.
