LBCC kicked off its celebration of Latinx Heritage Month with an online opening ceremony on Sept. 15 consisting of traditional blessings, poetry, and an exciting reveal of this year’s theme.
The meeting began with a traditional ceremony performed by an Indigenous group from Salinas, California, as a way to honor and harvest blessings from the ancestors.
LBCC’s Dean of Student Equity, Sonia De La Torre revealed the theme for this year’s Latinx Heritage Month.
“This year’s theme ‘Con Vivir: Communities Among us, between us, within us,’ is meant to capture the beauty of our diversity… as well as the connections that make us one people,” said De La Torre.
The theme also strives to emphasize the importance of appreciating the intersectionalities within the Latinx community and understanding that the term ‘Latinx’ has various meanings.
LBCC Interim-Superintendent President Mike Muñoz attended the event and told the virtual audience how important it is for students to have Latinx leaders to look up to.
“When I stepped foot in my community college … for the first time I had a counselor who was a Latino male and had a Masters Degree … it really started to transform the way I saw myself and what I was capable of achieving,” said Muñoz.
Muñoz revealed to the virtual audience that in 2020, LBCC received the Seal of Excelencia, a national certification awarded to colleges that have made it their mission to support, promote, and accelerate Latinx student success in higher education.
LBCC is the first California community college to be rewarded this esteemed recognition.
Next to speak was LBCC Board of Trustees President Uduak-Joe Ntuk. He spoke about how proud he was of the school for representing minority students and the impact that it has.
“Events like this bring us together. Whether you’re Afro-Latino, Mexican-American, Puerto Rican, or multi-racial… this event is reaffirmation that everyone matters and this is an all-student agenda,” said Ntuk.
ASB President Ava Cross also made an appearance and read a poem by Janelle Pinetta called, “To Be a Latino Woman on a College Campus,” a reflection on how Latinx women often feel invisible.
Though Cross does not identify as Latinx herself, she spoke about the importance of being an ally to Latinx students and all students of color who may face obstacles that she personally does not experience.
To close out the event, Board of Trustees Member Sonia Olmos revealed the various special events LBCC will offer this Latinx Heritage Month including a mental health panel, a traditional live cooking show, a celebration of Latin American art, and many more.
Olmos also directed participants to the newly established Latinx Student Resource Guide: A place where students can find courses that reflect the Latinx experience along with many different resources.