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\u2019s theme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
LBCC\u2019s Dean of Student Equity, Sonia De La Torre revealed the theme for this year\u2019s Latinx Heritage Month. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis year\u2019s theme \u2018Con Vivir: Communities Among us, between us, within us,\u2019 is meant to capture the beauty of our diversity\u2026 as well as the connections that make us one people,\u201d said De La Torre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The theme also strives to emphasize the importance of appreciating the intersectionalities within the Latinx community and understanding that the term \u2018Latinx\u2019 has various meanings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
LBCC Interim-Superintendent President Mike Mu\u00f1oz attended the event and told the virtual audience how important it is for students to have Latinx leaders to look up to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen I stepped foot in my community college \u2026 for the first time I had a counselor who was a Latino male and had a Masters Degree \u2026 it really started to transform the way I saw myself and what I was capable of achieving,\u201d said Mu\u00f1oz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mu\u00f1oz 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
LBCC is the first California community college to be rewarded this esteemed recognition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEvents like this bring us together. Whether you\u2019re Afro-Latino, Mexican-American, Puerto Rican, or multi-racial\u2026 this event is reaffirmation that everyone matters and this is an all-student agenda,\u201d said Ntuk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
ASB President Ava Cross also made an appearance and read a poem by Janelle Pinetta called, \u201cTo Be a Latino Woman on a College Campus,\u201d a reflection on how Latinx women often feel invisible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n