The past few years have seen an emergence of new ethnic appreciation clubs in American high schools.

Joining the long-established French and Spanish clubs is Latinos United, which started meeting this month, and the Polish Club.

The interest in starting Latino’s United came mainly from upperclassmen, and faculty members Clara Martinez and Elana Sitrin serve as the moderators

“Adolescents can go through a lot of identity searching, and having a safe space to discuss their culture is important,” Martinez said.

Latinos United meets on Wednesdays at 3 p.m. in room 222.

The club seeks to promote knowledge and discussion of Latino cultures, and is open to everybody who wants to know more about Latino culture.

The Polish club, established last semester, also seeks to educate its members about Polish culture, such as Polish television and music.

The club meets every Tuesday morning at 7:45 a.m. in room 225 and is moderated by Br. Sam. Many members speak Polish, but it is not necessary to understand the discussions.

Upcoming events the club is planning are a pączki sale for Fat Tuesday, and a water balloon fight around the Easter season, which is a tradition in Poland that conventionally takes place on Easter Monday.

“Starting a cultural appreciation club is a great way to connect with others, take initiative and show leadership, and validate an important part of your identity,” Kate Sundquist, a writer at CollegeVine said in her blog post titled, “Cultural Appreciation Clubs.”

Sunquist adds that educating others about different cultures is increasingly important as society becomes more diverse.