Elyse Echegaray
In the four years I have been at The College of Wooster there has never been such mobilization, or presence, of Latinx students as there is now. Not only do we now have two Latinx organizations on campus, but this is the most elaborate and involved Latinx Heritage Month there has ever been. It has been a month of celebration, conversation and also a biting reality check about what it means to be a Latinx student on this campus: we can have a whole month of “visibility” and still be invisible to both our administration and peers.
The Latinx community is one of the most historically unrepresented and invisible populations in the United States. And we are currently living in one of the most tumultuous times to be Latinx. This is no different at The College of Wooster. This Latinx Heritage month, there was a townhall with demands by Latinx students and organizations. This event was inspired, in part, by the Galpin Call-in. However, there was no coverage of this event in the Voice, no public comment from administration, and (so far) no action from administration. I commend and appreciate the work Organization of Latin American Students (O.L.A.S) and Latinas Unidas are doing on this campus. However, these events are only being discussed within the Latinx community. Issues pertaining to Latinx students are, at large, ignored by the campus community. Most students are probably unaware of the importance of this event or that this event even happened. During our own month we are experiencing erasure.
If you are a non-Latinx student, question your involvement this Latinx Heritage Month — what did it look like? Were your actions greater than just acknowledging the Latinx community on campus? It’s no longer enough for this campus to simply acknowledge our existence and us say “thank you.” As a senior, I am both frustrated and excited to be leaving The College of Wooster during a time of palpable change for the Latinx community. However, in order for this campus to truly progress we need more support from non-Latinx organizations and students. The Latinx Townhall was a huge event, that confronted administration and offered solutions. Be a better ally if you want to see this school become a safe place for Latinx bodies. Attend O.L.A.S. and Latinas Unidas meetings, become involved in these events in a more meaningful capacity, educate yourself, and in turn put pressure on administration to do better for the Latinx community.