With Hispanic Heritage Month fast approaching, most media outlets are hard-pressed to come up with a new way to observe the annual celebration.

The editors of the Arizona Republic figured out a way to give the observance a fresh angle while also providing an outlet to hear from some voices that too often get shuffled or muffled aside — and all it cost them was some pizzas and sodas.

Twelve Latino youth gather at the offices of the Arizona Republic to discuss what it means to be Hispanic.
(Source: azcentral.com)

Staff at the newspaper interviewed 12 young people in what they dubbed a "Hispanic Youth Round Table." There were only two ground rules for the young participants — be "honest and transparent."

The newspaper's editors said:

We met Alex Villalobos, who doesn't speak a lick of Spanish but on weekends dons traditional mariachi garb and performs with a Valley Ballet Folklorico dance troupe. And Bianca Ballejos, who wants to be an evangelist and help unite races and cultures, but who until recently was racist against “Mexicans.”

To read what each young person had to say about what it means to be Hispanic to him or her, follow this link and click on the headline Latino youths speak out on being Hispanic in America.