Piedmont issues proclamation marking Hispanic Heritage Month; student affinity group accepts recognition

Mayor Betsy Smigel Anderson read a City of Piedmont proclamation on Sept. 15 declaring Sept. 15–Oct. 15, 2025 as Hispanic Heritage Month, highlighting national observance dates and the contributions of Hispanic and Latino residents to the local community.

The mayor read the proclamation text that traced the evolution of the federal observance from a week in 1968 to a month in 1988 and recited the nations whose independence days bookend the month. She invited members of Grupo Latino de Piedmont — an affinity group from Piedmont High School — to accept the proclamation and, if they wished, speak to the council.

Students and affinity mentors addressed the council. Joaquin Fierro, a sophomore who identified as Mexican American, said he felt “very honored and very blessed to now see that the town that I've been growing up in my whole life is really embracing the culture.” Affinity mentor Carmen Botero said her father is a Colombian immigrant and thanked the council for the recognition. Several other student speakers shared experiences about belonging and the value of representation. Chilto Alberto, a sophomore who said both parents immigrated from Nicaragua, described the proclamation as “a symbol of unity, respect, and the power of representation.”

After the remarks, the mayor and students posed for a photo with the proclamation.

Ending: The council issued the proclamation and welcomed student speakers from the Grupo Latino de Piedmont; the item was ceremonial and no council vote was recorded beyond the reading and presentation.