Homage to Hispanic heritage

Honoring West Texas Hispanic youth and their achievements was the purpose of the League of United Latin American Citizens at the 2009 Hispanic Youth Summit at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin.

Executive director Carol Uranga said the event, which drew junior high, high school and college students from around West Texas, is meant to enrich the tradition and appreciation of culture for Hispanic youth.

"Summits like this allow kids to know about their heritage…to develop themselves and know where they come from. It reinforces who they are," Uranga said.

Not only does it teach the students about their background, the organization awarded scholarships totaling more than $20,000. Scholarships were given to outstanding Hispanic youth in West Texas. Uranga said the committee looked beyond good grades and considered students who participated in giving back to their community, were leaders among their peers and presented themselves well to the public.

Uranga said LULAC commissioned projects from participating students by paying for supplies and requiring the students create a presentation based on art, poetry or Ballet Folklorico dancing. The UTPB gym was lined with the projects that were colorful, intricate and represented many aspects of Hispanic heritage.

UTPB student 23-year-old Ashley Hinojos is a member of the Ballet Folklorico dance group. There were several presentations of the dance throughout the two days of the summit. She said Ballet Folklorico is a traditional form of dance from many different parts of Mexico.

Hinojos said the dance can be done alone or with a partner but dancing with a partner in Ballet Folklorico requires a lot of trust because the dances are very close, often cheek-to-cheek.

"It takes me back to my roots and it makes me feel like a kid again," Hinojos said.

The two-day summit ended Saturday with more than 100 people attending an awards ceremony, which honored project winners.

"This summit shows that we really are developing some great kids," Uranga said.