Violet Vargas is a sophomore who is driven by her passion for her culture and her desire to share it with others. Through her presentations, dance performances and interactions with others, Violet inspires and educates those around her about her family’s story and the traditions that have been passed down through generations.

Vargas is a member of the Latinx Student Union (LSU) which was recently featured along with other student unions at an event called Unions Unite, where students gave presentations on their culture, through music and dance. Sharing her culture through presentations like this one is a way to educate others and to promote cultural awareness and understanding.

Vargas shared that her father’s side is from Puerto Rico, and her grandfather’s generation was the first to come to America.

“Since I’m half Mexican and half Puerto Rican I thought I might as well just do a Puerto Rican presentation because there were already LSU presentations about Latinos and Mexico,” Vargas said.

Violet’s passion for her culture also extends to dance, as she is a member of a Folklórico dance group called Bunny Adore, that dances every Sunday from 10 to 12pm.

“I wanted to do something that was connected to my culture, and just do something that was active,” Vargas said.

A little while ago, Vargas got the opportunity to dance at the Multicultural assembly, where she performed a dance called Folklórico to the song Palomita. She said that she had learned this dance in her dance group and she was still getting familiar with it. Nonetheless, she still went out in front of the whole school, and performed something that connected her to her culture.

Through her dance performances, Vargas can express her cultural identity, sharing it with others in an engaging and dynamic way.

In a predominantly white school, Vargas shares the importance of sharing her culture with others. For her, being able to educate others is a way to promote cultural understanding and to break down barriers between different communities.

“It makes me really happy when people try to ask questions,” Vargas said.

While reflecting on her motivation for exploring her cultural heritage, Vargas expresses how understanding her family’s history and traditions have created  a way for her to connect with her roots and to feel a sense of belonging. Vargas has always felt a deep connection to her Puerto Rican heritage, and is proud to share it with others.

“Everybody has a story about their ancestry and their family,” Vargas said.