Reflection On The Latino Community

My work in the Latino Caucus this year has been that which I have been proudest of in my time at Boston College because it has been the avenue by which I have been able to affect the most people. Students are often very active in their communities and yet I still feel that too many students remain complacent. Our voices matter and if I can convince even just a few people to speak out for what they believe in then it was worth the effort. Caucuses support legislation and candidates that embody their values and interests. Our caucus, made up of myself and two others from Northeastern, works to increase the education and involvement of Latino College Students by promoting participation in the political process. The caucus also vocalizes the issues
My Freshman year I was introduced to the Pan-American movement through friends of mine at Boston University who helped me understand my own heritage, culture, and how to create positive change in my community. Pan-Americanism is a movement which seeks to create the cooperation and advancement of the Latino community as a whole. Latinos to me are a microcosm of the colored community and marginalized groups as a whole. When a group joins with others that have similar goals the overall message becomes infinitely more powerful. If Latinos work together there is nothing we can’t achieve. As a Dominican student, most expected that I would join the Dominican Association of Boston College. This was my intention until I realized that CASA was in a tough predicament due to its lack of members. If they were unable to find a Treasurer the club would not be able to continue its mission in the fall. Conversely DABC was a club with a full board that would be able to continue without additional members. Joining CASA was a small step towards my dream of greater Latino cooperation because I was able to become Treasurer and help move the club towards its mission of promoting a pluralistic and
The Other Americas is a source for Latin American news and culture on the Boston College campus and provides a forum for discussion of issues pertaining to Latinos. The Other Americas has been a great way to educate students on various issues. During our weekly meetings this semester the topics discussed have ranged from foreign issues, including the forced removal of indigenous tribes in Brazil, to domestic ones, such as SNL’s controversial decision to have presidential candidate Donald Trump host their first November Show. The Other Americas is a club in which every member really contributes to the work that we do. As Vice-President, I pick some of the discussion topics, do research to better inform our general members on these topics beforehand, and write opinion articles regarding issues in Latin America. Last semester, I wrote an article I was particularly proud of which highlighted the role of machismo on the culture of femicide in Mexico. Furthermore, I’ve been able to augment my work in the Latino Caucus by using the publication as a means to further publicize the work of other Latino groups. Other Americas plans to follow up on the issue of being LGBTQ in the Latino community by putting interviews of those students who were unable to participate in the panel. Also in