In a room decorated with traditional Mexican peckered paper and posters of half-a-dozen Latin American countries posted on the walls, a group of 19 students gathers to share ideas about what it means to be Latino.

The discussion shifts back-and-forth between Spanish and English. Each speaker begins with an introduction including their name, preferred pronoun, sexual orientation and reason for attending the meeting.

Junior Jessica Lopez, who attended the second Latino Student Association meeting of the year Dec. 9, said she thinks about Latino culture in terms of the the food, language, music and festivals she experienced growing up.

Lopez said she learned Spanish before English, and grew up with the influence of traditions her parents brought over to the United States when they migrated from Mexico 19 years ago. She said she enjoys the Latino Student Association because it allows her to get exposure to a culture she feels familiar with while in a school setting.

“I can speak my language and get to do that kind of traditional stuff at school,” Lopez said.
Sophomore Mario Marin Luna said he joined the group in hopes of gaining knowledge about his cultural heritage.

“(I want) to embrace my roots and know my culture and family,” Marin Luna said.
Adviser Daniel Perez said the fact that attendance nearly doubled — from 10 to 19 — between the first and second meeting shows the eagerness of Latino students to connect with others who may share similar stories or experiences.

“It just shows you the hunger people feel or have for wanting to belong, wanting to be seen, wanting to be heard,” Perez said.

For the remainder of the school year, Perez said the group plans to focus on further increasing attendance, and continuing to discuss what it means to be Latino.
“The hope is that the group continues to grow, people continue to be engaged and that we also wrestle with questions regarding identity,” Perez said.

Perez said he believes Latinos represent multiple races, cultures and traditions. He said more recently, many Latinos have taken on the task of gaining recognition in a wider context.
“Particularly today, being Latino means being from a culture that wants to be seen, wants to be heard, wants to thrive and wants the world to know that Latinos have more to offer the world than people think,” Perez said.

The third Latino Student Association meeting takes place fourth hour Jan. 12 in C350. Students seeking more information can speak to Perez in his office in the counseling office.