THE MONTH of October is dedicated to Hispanic heritage, meaning the heritage of those from a country with Spanish speaking origins. We decided to put Hispanic students to the test to see how much they really knew about their country’s culture. These are the results:

Q: Who are some famous figures from your country?

Colombia: Sophomore Matilde Cardoso said, “Shakira and Sofia Vergara are some celebrities I like to name when anybody asks about my country, mainly because other famous figures don’t have a great reputation.”

Ecuador: “Maria Elisa Camargo and Roberto Manrique are Ecuadorian TV stars that have appeared in several Telemundo telenovelas like ‘Doña Barbara’ and ‘Porque el Amor Manda.’ They’re both good looking people. Christina Aguilera is also half Ecuadorian,” stated junior Josselyn Navas.

Peru: Senior Nicolas Barrios mentioned, “Mario Vargas Llosa [won the] Nobel prize for literature.”

Mexico: Freshman Adamary Felipe said, “Vicente Fernández, Juan Gabriel, Jenni Rivera, Maria Elena Velasco, and Cantinflas are all famous figures that have dealt with issues most would rather not deal with and have impacted the music and television worlds in their own ways.”

Q: What is your country well known for?

Ecuador: Junior Josselyn Navas stated, “In the tourist perspective, we’re known for our landscape; volcanoes, waterfalls, and deep-gemstone lakes. As for food, I feel like a lot of people relate the word ‘cut’ to Ecuador, but in reality this tradition of eating guinea pigs is only something practiced in the highlands.”

Peru: Senior Nicolas Barrios mentioned that Peru is known “for the food, llamas, and Machu Picchu.”

Mexico: Osiris Guerrero addressed recent political rhetoric about Mexico noting that some say Mexico is known for “bringing illegal immigrants who are rapists and other criminals into the US.” He added, “This is not true, just a very biased opinion made by people who don’t know the facts. The country itself is popular for its beaches and rich culture and history, like the Mayans and Aztecs and their pyramids.”

Q: What are some of the most famous tourist locations?

Colombia: Sophomore Matilde Cardoso explained that “there aren’t many famous tourist locations in mainland Colombia, but the beaches in Cartagena and San Andres are very well known for scuba divers.”

Ecuador: Junior Josselyn Navas recommended that “for those seeking an adrenaline rush, there’s “La Casa del Arbol” or “the Treehouse” for my non-Spanish takers. You get to swing over a mountainous abyss without any safety measures whatsoever- it’s just you, a swing, an old treehouse, and the beauty of nature.”

Peru: Senior Nicolas Barrios knew of “Machu Picchu and Aguas Calientes, Cuzco, the Nasca Lines, Lago Titicaca, and El Valle Sagrado.”

Mexico: Freshman Adamary Felipe stated “Some of the most famous tourist locations are the beaches like Cancún and Puerto Vallarta. Also the ancient artifacts of Mexico are huge with tourist spots like Chichén Itzá, the Mayan Metropolis and the Ancient Fortress of Tulum. ”

Q: What is a tradition from the country?

Colombia: Junior David Betancur said, “dancing and partying for almost anything, huge festivities during Christmas and also a huge flower festival where people carry great designs made up of flowers on their backs”

Ecuador: Senior Eileen Jimenez knew of “a tradition that occurs every year in Ecuador is on New Years called los años viejos. People make giant-sized dolls of cartoon characters, celebrities, or even people that they don’t like.

“When the clock strikes twelve, people light the towering doll on fire. For Ecuadorians, this is them symbolically getting rid of all the negative things in their life and making room for all the positive things the new year may bring.”

Peru: Senior Nicolas Barrios stated the “Inti Raymi (Sun Festival).”

Mexico: “A tradition that’s the same for almost every other hispanic nation is the famous party where a girl turns into a woman called a Quinceñera.”