United Amigos Leads Celebration of Si Se Puede Day

United Amigos club members led the observance of Si Se Puede Day at Huntington High School, celebrating the ability to know that “we are all capable of fulfilling our dreams and support each other in our achievements,” faculty advisor Rosario Lorenzana said.

The phrase translates literally to “yes, it can be done!” It carries a message of hope. “This day reminded us that in life, it does not matter where you came from but where you are going,” Ms. Lorenzana said.

“Sí se puede is a term rooted in the struggle of working-class Latinos,” according to the website of the Center for American Progress, an independent non-partisan policy institute. “It was the rallying cry of the United Farm Workers Union in the 1970s. Co-founders Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez adopted the motto during a 25-day fast in Phoenix, Arizona where they were trying to organize farm workers to demand fair wages and better working conditions. This mantra was meant to galvanize workers and inspire them. Yes, we can start a movement against all odds. Yes, we can stand up against exploitation. Yes, we can fight for fair wages and medical and pension benefits. Over the years, Sí se puede has also been adopted by other civil and labor rights groups involving Latinos around the country.”

As students filed into the building on the big day, they were greeted with music and smiles by United Amigos members stationed near the entrances. Club officers decorated different areas around the school in green.

“The entrance hallway was also decorated with green balloons spelling the words, SI SE PUEDE,” Ms. Lorenzana said. “The classroom doors were decorated in the chosen color and motivational statements that were visible to all.”

The famous words of South African anti-apartheid activist and later president Nelson Mandela were rang out of the building’s public address system: “It always seems impossible until it’s done.”

“Students were asking what does si se puede mean to them and many indicated that it meant hope to all even in these days that are filled with uncertainty,” Ms. Lorenzana said.