An Exploration of the lives of Latine students on campus

Georgia Thoms delves into how student organisations at the College of William and Mary uplift Latine voices and how many Latine students have struggled with their ethnic and cultural identities. Continue reading to learn more about the Latin American Student Union on campus, community, privilege, identity, and student voice.

The scent of bubbling sauces accompanied by a flurry of movement and a consistent din may have seemed chaotic to a bystander, but as a child, there was nothing comparable to the hustle and bustle of my nana’s kitchen. As she stirred six pots at once, slipping between Spanish and English, all I could think of was her warmth and comfort in association to my culture. I identify as “Latinx” but am quite a mix — I am Puerto Rican, Italian, and a mix of various other European countries, but I am racially White, which has made my journey through ethnically identifying as Latine tumultuous. I grew up around Puerto Rican culture, but I never learned to speak Spanish, and I am not first generation. In understanding my privilege, I oftentimes feel as though I am an imposter to the Latine community. However, after coming to the College of William and Mary, I learned I was not alone in my apprehensive thoughts.

At the College, there are many organisations for minority groups, and a few specifically promote the Latine and Hispanic community. The Latin American Student Union has created an environment that not only welcomes Latine and Hispanic members but also encourages them to use their voices to advocate for empowerment and community.

Alexia Kaelber ’21, co-president of LASU, explained in an email interview that being involved in a club with other Latine students has helped him gain a sense of identity and has helped him understand his privilege as a White Hispanic man.

“As a White Hispanic, I do not face challenges due to my ethnicity — I have a European background, last name, and speak fluent English,” Kaelber said. “I am a dual citizen, and am much more likely to be targeted due to my gender or sexuality, than my ethnicity.”

Privilege was also an important note for Arami Chrystal ’23, a member of LASU and their performing arts group subset El Arte.

“As a White Latinx [sic.], I do not think I face any discrimination for being Latinx [sic.],” Chrystal said. “When it comes to Latinx based-discrimination, we have to make a distinction between race and ethnicity. At the end of the day, White Latinx [sic.] are still White and therefore hold the same privileges and power as White people do. I think any White Latinx [sic.] that tries to act oppressed for being Latinx [sic.] and does not recognise their privilege can be dangerous.”

Another student and member of LASU and El Arte, Kameryn Arispe ’23, who identifies ethnically as “Latinx,” furthered the discussion of race.

“Though I am a minority, I must first acknowledge that while I may not be considered White-passing, I am light-complected, and this is a factor that shields me from a lot of struggles that Latinx [sic.] face in regards to colourism,” Arispe wrote. “On campus, I have found that in spaces where Latinx [sic.] aren’t present, there have been several instances in which White non-Latinx [sic.] individuals have attempted to explain my own culture or my own cultural experiences to me, as if they are not experiences I’m constantly living. I would say that this is what I have encountered most, both on and off campus — White, non-Latinx [sic.] individuals hearing me speak about my own experiences, deciding my perspective is invalid, and then explaining these experiences to me, as if they understand them better than I do.”

Ethnic and racial microaggressions underscore the entitled ignorance of privileged individuals. “Latinidad” is another example of a common, problematic term involving the Latine community. It refers to the supposed various attributes shared by Latin American people and their descendants, without reducing those similarities to any single essential trait.

Co-president of LASU alongside Kaelber, Sara Martinez ’21 discussed how mainstream media’s portrayal of Latinidad is heavily flawed and much more complicated than just checking off a box entitled “Latino/a/x.”

“LASU was a place for me to feel less alone at a PWI [Primarily White Institution], but it has also taught me to question my identity and the notion of ‘Latinidad,’” Martinez stated. “It’s something much more — Latinx [sic.] communities, either in the U.S. or in Latin America, have often oppressed indigeneity and Black Latinx [sic.] people, so I’ve had to keep revising my idea of Latinx [sic.] peoples and the intersectionality between many identities.”

She explained that in addition, a majority of people have recently rejected the idea of Latinidad due to its exclusivity. As an overarching term, Latinidad brings together a large group of people and labels them, preventing each person from expressing their individual connection to their Latine identity.

“Lack of representation and discrimination against Latinx [sic.] people is [sic.] rampant,” Kaelber said. “There is an erasure of Latinx [sic.] people, particularly Black Latinx [sic.] people, queer and trans Latinx people, and an oversaturation of narratives about White Latinx [sic.] people. There needs to be more nuance and representation of Latinx [sic.] communities.”

Martinez agreed, noting that Latine people are often viewed as a monolith. Martinez hopes for more Latine individuals to be highlighted in popular media, but in order to do this, the notion of a Latine person looking a certain way in order to validate them as Latine needs to be dismissed. 

Another member of LASU, the Black Student Organisation, and the NAACP, Chance Jimenez ’23 identifies as a Black Latinx person and explained how once she shared their ethnic identity with peers, they were bombarded with questions. 

“Before getting to college, I’ve felt like I had to prove myself as a Latina person” Jimenez said. “Every attempt to put me in a box was a slap in the face. Sometimes it was my skin and my hair — too dark and too coily for me to possibly be a Latina woman. To others, it somehow made sense that I wasn’t ‘just’ Black. I’ve had these things said to me as if they’re compliments — as if I’m supposed to be disrespected as a Latina woman and as a Black woman, and just take it in stride.”

Jimenez continued, explaining how struggling with identity for such a long time made her question if she deserved to claim an identity, if it did not fit the societal mould. 

“I wouldn’t say that I was Latinx [sic.] — I felt like I needed to invalidate my own identity before giving someone else the chance,” Jimenez explained. “It makes me sad that I saw the box they made for me; I saw the pieces of me that wouldn’t fit, but I squeezed in anyway. It took me a long time to realise that as Black women and Latina women and everything in between— we are not a monolith. We come in many shades. Our hair can be 1A or 4C or something in between. Our beauty will no longer be restricted to Western beauty standards.”

Another group that struggles to find a voice within the Latine community is the queer community. Amber Cantú ’24, a member of LASU, explained some reasons behind this lack of representation.

“Much of the Hispanic/Latine community is very religious, and because of this, newer ideas and being accepting of others’ differences is still hard to come by,” Cantú said. “Also, ‘machismo’ culture, gender roles, and patriarchal views dominate much of the culture.”

LASU member Naomi Marin ’24 seconded this, stating that many queer people, despite being multidimensional, experience restraints in being put in a box. 

“Being a single variable that defines individuals — I think this is an exclusionary tactic to divide and exclude members of our community” Marin noted. “I felt as if maybe I didn’t even qualify to be part of LASU, for example, because my ancestry is only partially Latine. However, time and time again, I and others have reminded myself that this is a way to weaken our collective agency, and including all voices, diverse as they are, is a great way to amplify everyone!”

Change is possible only by addressing the alarming trend of non-representation and alienation. The LASU co-presidents have a few ideas for the College to make a local impact on campus, including renaming all buildings. Additionally, the pair emphasised the need for the College to not only acknowledge its racist past but to address it at every event and in every email in order to make tangible changes to restructure itself to best serve Black, Native, and other minority communities that have been structurally oppressed and discriminated against by the school.

“Wite cis men dominate too much of the discourse on this campus and are too ready to speak over others,” Chrystal said. “Sit in on any class on this campus, and you will see what I am talking about — 80 per cent is just White men talking. Part of it is statistics, but also part of it is also that minority groups do not always feel comfortable speaking … We have to create a place where they feel comfortable doing so.”

Arispe had a different point of view, explaining that it was not lack of respect or acceptance from the College that was the problem but whether the College was prioritising marginalised students and alumni.

Bella Ortiz ’23, a member of LASU, Salsa Club, and the new group “Political Latinxs United for Movement and Action in Society” specifically questioned the hypocrisy of the College’s promises.

“Too often, William and Mary  preaches diversity and inclusion through statements and promises but never acts on their word,” Ortiz explained. “They’d rather continue receiving money from racist alumni than listen to their underrepresented students on campus. They leave the actual action up to multicultural organisations and refuse to do the bare minimum by listening to them when they beg the school to change. As for the students, I wish the predominantly White student population cared more about their diverse peers and educated themselves on the issues we must face. I also wish that they’d show up to our meetings/events to use their privilege and listen to what we have to say.”

While Latine organisations on campus give marginalised students a platform to express these demands, they also act as a comforting community to share both similar and different experiences. The terms “Latinx” or “Latine” themselves encompass a multitude of cultures with their own unique struggles and experiences. As an organisation, LASU has a mission to form an open-armed community in order to embrace, bring awareness to, and celebrate Latine culture at the College, despite the hardships of being a minority.

“I’ve experienced many microaggressions and being stereotyped,” Ortiz said. “I’ve had multiple experiences where people, both on and off campus, have called me ‘spicy,’ ‘exotic,’ etc. once they’ve found out I’m Latina. I also find it challenging to relate to a lot of students here, given that our school is a PWI, and many White students do not have the same experiences and cultural backgrounds that I do. LASU has given the opportunity to share my experiences and become friends with people who I can relate to.”

Changes can be made at an individual level by holding uncomfortable conversations. LASU is known for social activism in order to define the Latine community as multifaceted, and those that are not part of the community can do that too. 

“I believe that people can improve by listening to those who are affected by stereotyping and microaggressions and [by] trying to understand the effects of the issue, not only personally, but on a larger scale,” Cantú said. 

Marin seconded their peer, explaining that talking to people individually who beforehand one might view as one-dimensional can be helpful in transforming the understanding of people’s identities. They also acknowledged that the College’s implementation of the COLL 300/350 is a great step, along with the cultural competency training within clubs, in addition to organisation talks with different clubs or speakers.

While there is still a long way of changes yet to come, students in LASU have shown that passion and resilience are the starting ingredients for acceptance.

Editor’s Note: Flat Hat Magazine uses “Latine” over “Latinx” to be more inclusive of gender-non-conforming individuals in Latin America. The -e ending is easier for native Spanish speakers to pronounce and is much more common in countries where Spanish is the spoken language.