On Thursday Sept. 21, Latinos Unidos brought Latin culture to Berkshire Dining Hall through lively music and delicious food to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.
The organization’s party was designed to encourage all students, including non-Latinos, to honor and highlight the importance of this month.
Michelle Nguyen, a senior public health sciences major and president of LU, aimed to show campus what the Latino community is about. She wants students to feel welcomed and included on a campus by providing a feeling of home.
“Berk parties give me a sense of home, and I am sure it does for other people,” Nguyen said. “I mean, they are dancing, eating and having fun. It’s like a big family cookout.”
Nguyen was born and raised in Chelsea, MA, which is a heavily populated Hispanic community. She comes from both a Salvadorian and Vietnamese background but feels more connected with her Latin roots. She expressed that she has had a love for traveling to El Salvador since she was a little girl.
Nguyen then reflected on her high school experience in Chelsea and explained how she never felt out of place since there were so many students that shared similar ethnic backgrounds. “It is such a switch here at UMass because there are more predominantly white people. I just envisioned something different,” she said.
“Sometimes in class, I’m the only Hispanic there. It’s a culture shock to me, and we only have one month out of the whole year to represent us,” Nguyen said.
Jada-Lee Viera, a sophomore nursing major, attended the party and was eager to be at an event that reflected her culture. Viera, also from Chelsea, shares similar thoughts to Nguyen about attending a predominantly white institution, and hopes to see more inclusive events on campus.
“Going to a predominantly white institution, events like these allow inclusivity, and it is a chance for me to meet other people with similar backgrounds,” Viera continued. “It is also a chance to feel welcomed here at UMass, and I can’t wait to attend more of these events.”
LU wanted to ensure that the Flag Party was a night to remember for students. Members of the e-board sat down with the chefs at Berk to make sure everything was just right. They gave them options on what to cook, recipes and suggestions to help improve the menu for this year. Nguyen mentioned that in the past few years, LU lacked effort and didn’t want to make that same mistake this year.
Nicolle Gudiel Winter, a senior psychology major on the neuroscience track and event coordinator, explained issues with the menu that she did not want to repeat from last year’s Berk Party, and helped brainstorm ideas to make it a more authentic and genuine reflection of Hispanic dishes.
Winter spoke highly of LU and expressed how it has given her a supportive community that allowed her to excel in her personal and professional life. As event coordinator, her role is to cultivate and promote unity among the Latino community. However, she wants to open arms to non-Latino students and push them to join LU.
“LU right now is an organized club that aims to foster Latin culture, but I want it to be more inclusive to everyone and not just stereotypically and labeled as a Hispanic-only club,” Winter said.
Both Nguyen and Winter want LU to have more of a presence on campus. With a full e-board this year, they believe their solid team can make that happen.
“I feel like we could be as strong as the bigger organizations on campus since we are the only Latin RSO. We should be up there.” Nguyen said.
“I want everyone to feel comfortable in voicing their opinion for our organization when it comes to these events, not just our e-board,” Winter said.
Nguyen is ecstatic to see what the year holds for LU. “If you want to get involved, follow our Instagram @umasslu and stay tuned for more parties to come,” she said.
Juliannie Ayala can be reached at [email protected].
