In Spanish, “hermanas” means “sisters,” and “unidas” means “united.” At Archer, Hermanas Unidas embodies more than its translation.
The affinity group hosted their annual Spanish-Speaking Families Night in the library Thursday, Dec. 4, inviting families from the Archer community to hear the Hermanas Unidas Executive Board present about the many programs and resources Archer offers, including sports, arts and college preparation.
According to Executive Board member Layla Chavira (‘27), the event is designed to create a space where Spanish-speaking families can connect with each another by blending both information and community building.
“It’s an affinity celebration, a time for the Spanish-speaking families at Archer to get together and learn about the programs that we have,” Chavira said. “We also have food, so that it’s a fun experience — a dinner together. It’s also just a good way for all the club members to get to know each other, and you get to meet each other’s families to learn more about them.”
Another Executive Board member, Tatiana Bojeczko (‘26), said she hoped to use this event to give younger students in particular a communal space to support one another.
“It allows the younger grades, like seventh and eighth graders, to come with their family to learn from the upper schoolers about what they’re doing and to connect with others,” Bojeczko said. “Also, [it’s] so that we can have more people in the club, to grow, to make it bigger and to create that big support system.”
The event offers families a sense of belonging within the larger Archer community, Executive Board member Catalina López-Sánchez (‘27) said. She said connecting with others through an important part of her identity has been impactful and memorable.
“Everyone in the Archer community who speaks Spanish can come together and bond over our shared culture, identity and our shared language,” López-Sánchez said. “It’s just a way for us to reach out, especially to those families who predominantly speak Spanish and feel like it’s hard to interact with other Archer families because of language or cultural barriers. It’s just to show that in a predominantly white school in Brentwood, that there are people who are similar and share parts of your identity.”
The Hermanas Unidas Executive Board includes 10 upper schoolers, an increase by four members since last year. Chavira, who has served on the board since her sophomore year, said the club has shaped her experience at Archer.
“It’s been nice to hang out with people that have similar experiences as me, that celebrate the same holidays as me, and it’s just a fun way to get together with different people from different grades,” Chavira said. “You get to talk about your experiences, your family and what your family does for certain traditions. It brightens up my week to go and see all my hermanas coming into the room.”
López-Sánchez said she has made many lasting connections through the affinity group. For example, she is still in contact with previous Hermanas Unidas members who have graduated.
“From sixth graders to seniors, building those bonds has been one of my favorite experiences at Archer,” López-Sánchez said. “I think having a space, an affinity group, where you’re able to connect with people off of a part of your identity is just so special.”
