My Latina Identity at Barnard

Being a first year student in college can be a difficult experience for everyone. You are continuously adjusting to the influx of people that you meet, you are adjusting to classes and your professors while simultaneously attempting to determine what clubs and activities on campus you want to get involved in. 
However, my personal experience as a Latina adjusting to college was not only about finding my place within the campus, but rather about learning to feel comfortable in my own skin in a predominantly Caucasian college community. Sometimes in class I would get nervous about speaking up. Will I pronounce things correctly? Will other students judge me for my Spanish accent?

It was not until I planned a day of mentoring and empowerment for middle school girls from my neighborhood, a predominantly Hispanic neighborhood, that I fully realized the importance of actively promoting the Latino culture. As part of the Emerging Leaders Program, my group and I thought it was best to work on a service project. The day of the event I looked around the room and saw a room full of beautiful young faces but felt disheartened that these young women did not have enough Latinas as role models to look up to. At the end of the event I held the door for the girls as they walked out.  As I waved goodbye, they held on tightly to the mini Barnard bears that we gave to them as souvenirs and with bright eyes and big smiles said, “I would like to attend Barnard someday.” I hope that when they arrive to the Barnard campus they find that promoting difference and the Latino culture will not be limited to a month, but would be an everyday practice.

Latino Heritage Month is a month to embrace the Latino presence on campus.  It also serves as a reminder of the importance of increasing the number of Latinos in higher education and as professionals in the United States.  Most importantly, Latino heritage month should not be a month of celebration solely within the Latino community but rather it should be a month dedicated to building solidarity amongst different cultural communities.  
While my identity as a Latina does not solely define me, it plays a large role in the person who I am today. I love to dance salsa and bachata, I love going home to eat my mother’s arroz con pollo, and I love speaking Spanglish. As I continue my journey in Barnard I will never forget my dad’s words, “nunca olvides de donde vienes“ (never forget where you come from). Dad—I promise not to.