Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month

It feels like as I’ve gotten older, and as the world has grown increasingly complex, fractured, and heavy, the meaning behind celebrating our Hispanic roots has become far more eminent. What once might have felt like a passive acknowledgment of history has transformed into something vital. Today, choosing to loudly and unapologetically celebrate who we are, where we come from, and the communities that carry us feels more like a necessity rather than an event that exists solely in the calendars.

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We saw this exact sentiment take a global stage on February 8, 2026, when Bad Bunny headlined the Super Bowl LX Halftime Show. Performing entirely in Spanish to an audience of over a hundred million people, he refused to dilute his identity to fit in; instead, he stuck to his roots which is crucial especially in a political time and climate where the identities of communities like South Americans are being unfairly attacked to a point where people are made to feel like they’ve been dealt the wrong cards solely because they don’t share the skin tone or language as the majority.

Regarding the performance itself, amidst the sea of vibrant cultural symbolism and references to little inside jokes that transports you back to different shared experiences of the culture, a singular, striking message flashed across the stadium: “THE ONLY THING MORE POWERFUL THAN HATE IS LOVE.”

A simple but stark message, a reminder that even through all this division, love can and does exist and, if anything, it is more necessary to showcase it now than ever. As a South American, seeing the parade of flags afterwards, including my own, all being united under the banner of America was especially a moment I will remember for a long time to come.

When the idea of a photoshoot sparked during conversation with Geneva, the other HARD Magazine co-editor, I began brainstorming and putting together a moodboard, and it was only afterwards when I looked back on it that I realised how the things that popped immediately in my head where things that are definitive features of my culture: I wanted the photoshoot to take place in my house, because most Hispanic celebrations and parties happen at home surrounded by the whole family; and I wanted the shoot to have a lot of models in it, whether that was to represent friendship or family. It had to feel crowded, lively, and full of collective energy.

It was a no-brainer that the models had to be from South America, and so myself and Geneva spoke about collaborating with the UoY’s Latin American Society. On the same day that we had a conversation about a potential photoshoot to celebrate Hispanic Heritage month, I reached out to the Latin American society and they were quick and enthusiastic to accept the offer which we were so happy and grateful for. 

On the day, it was very cool to see the vision board that Geneva and I kept for referencing to take shape, and also new ideas such as the models dancing in the garden, which is one of my favourite photos we took on the day. It was very spontaneous: we put some merengue on and Geneva and I immediately began capturing the models dancing outside.

Another one of my favourite ideas that happened on the day was the pictures we took of the models sitting together on the staircase. The lighting in my house was a yellowish hue that gave the pictures a cozy and warm tone, so we had a lot of fun taking pictures of the models together by the stairs, in the kitchen, and in the living room. 

This photoshoot is a very special and personal project I’m glad to have done this year as co-editor alongside Geneva. The proudest I feel about being South American is when I see other people loudly, beautifully, and unapologetically expressing it. As cliche as it sounds, the Bad Bunny Super Bowl performance taught me as an artist that in order to celebrate my culture the best thing is to show it as authentically as possible.

Photos by Victoria Venegas & Geneva O'Hara