Hanna Cruz
Staff Reporter
In the United States, Hispanic Heritage Month begins on Sep. 15, which is the same day as the celebrations of independence in El Salvador, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Honduras, with Mexico and Chile following shortly after.
Originally called Hispanic Heritage Week, but then later extended into a month-long celebration in 1988, this month celebrates the contributions and extensive history of American Latinx culture.
PLU Latinx Unidos student club representatives President Adalid Martinez, Secretary Jazmin Garcia Hernandez and Treasurer Cori Birrueta shared what this month means to them and their plans to make sure their heritage is celebrated beyond a single month.
“Personally I think Hispanic Heritage Month means a way to uplift our community and share about us. Although we try to share year round, sometimes having this month’s concentration really helps,” Martinez said.
Latinx Unidos encourages the involvement of all cultural backgrounds into their club. Having different backgrounds involved adds to the value of what they are trying to do: empower Latinx students through scholarly support and social enrichment.
“It creates a more empathetic community, […] knowing that there are people within your community who care to learn about your experience and your identity as well as move forward with that information and grow from it as well,” Hernandez said.
Those who have been at PLU for some time have attested to the fact that slowly but surely more and more Latinx students are making their way onto campus.
“Although it might sound crazy, even just compared to last year there are so many more Latin Americans on campus, and it feels incredibly encouraging. Being a minority is hard regardless of where you are and it is harder when a [predominantly white institution] groups all of us together,” Birrueta said.
“Although many minorities face similar struggles there are still certain struggles that are more prevalent or appear differently to different minorities. It can be very discouraging to not see yourself on campus, so being able to see and hear more Latin Americans is so exciting and encouraging to know that yes we are here and we are taking up space.”
Despite some attempts at showcasing representation on the school’s website and Instagram pages, in terms of what efforts PLU has made towards enacting a culture of diversity, some students say they’ve fallen behind.
“To be frank, there hasn’t been a huge amount of change or progression at PLU specifically towards its Latinx community, at least from what I noticed,” Hernandez said.
Although the institution itself may be falling short in the eyes of some students, some changes are underway at PLU. Latinx Unidos plays a big part in that, ensuring students feel more comfortable and included through their weekly club meetings and cultural celebrations.
“Many have a stereotypical idea of what being Latin or Hispanic means, but the reality is there are many Latinos that don’t speak Spanish and they are valid and it does not make them any less Latin. Latin America has become a melting pot of features, colors and sizes, all of which are valid and deserve to be acknowledged,” Birrueta said.
Latinx Unidos meets Thursdays from 7 to 8 p.m. in Tingelstad Hall. More information can be found on their Instagram page @plu_lxu.
