FOGHORN ISSUE 4 FINAL

06 07
THURSDAY
SEPT 28.
2023
Latine Heritage Celebration
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Pan dulce, or sweet bread, was brought to Latin America by the Spanish
in the early 1800s. Today, it is a staple of Latine culture with lots of variations.
Photo courtesy of Samantha Avila Griffin
There are over 5,000 methods for preparing tamales with variations in
wrapping, fillings, and cooking. Photo courtesy of Samantha Avila Griffin
Aileen Robles, Emma Farfan, Nadia Gonzalez,
and Lidia Velasco wore bright smiles during their
first performance of the semester. Photo courtesy of
Samantha Avila Griffin
cause I know that’s what LUNA strives for,” said Metzli Lemus,
LUNA event coordinator. “Whenever we see homesick freshmen
who are here, now meeting people who share the same
culture as them, like the same music as them, who look like
them, it makes us all so happy to see. It’s also amazing to see
people who are not Latine come in and share that culture with
us — to see everyone appreciate it.”
USF’s Folklórico Club provided entertainment at the celebration,
performing a traditional Mexican dance to the cheers
of the audience. The dancers were adorned in flowing green
skirts and red flowers tucked in their hair. The club, which preserves
and honors Mexican culture through dance, performs
dances from regions across Mexico for various on-campus presentations,
often partnering with Latinas Unidas.
At the celebration, guest speakers shared stories about
growing up and figuring out their Latine identities, and discovering
spaces of belonging. Speaker Melissa Garcia,
interdisciplinary scholar and assistant professor at
USF, debuted a poem sharing her mother’s story of
immigrating to California in the trunk of a car in
1982. “I have never taken lightly the phrase ‘I am
my ancestors’ wildest dream,’” she told the audience.
As students munched on tamales and sweet
conchas, speaker Mario Gonzalez, USF housing coordinator,
took the stage. “When I was in college, I
didn’t feel like I was Latine enough to get involved:
I wasn’t listening to Spanish music enough, I wasn’t
undocumented, I wasn’t a Latine studies major.
The thing is, I was the only one who stopped myself
from going to these events—I cut myself off from
these connections and the community. People are
not going to turn you away,” he said.
Regarding the strength of the student organizations
in promoting heritages
and cultures on campus,
Lemus said, “I feel like
it’s the student organizations
that really spearhead
the events and bring to life
what the students are asking
for on campus.”
LUNA Public Relations
executive Diego Gomez
said, “In what I see
from campus admin, I
“ The question of whether you
will or won’t be accepted, it’s
a risk worth
taking, and I hope all of us
continue to take that risk.
- Christina Garcia Lopez
don’t hear a lot about Latine students on campus, so we’re just
trying to make the population more active through clubs.”
Junior advertising student and attendee Lisa Flores said,
“I think the Latine clubs on campus do a wonderful job; they
provide resources, list faculty members, and host events to
highlight the culture of campus. They actively work to show
the community how we’re not alone.”
In a closing statement that again encouraged students to
take part in cultural events, Christina Garcia Lopez, director
of Chicanx-Latinx studies said to the audience, “I know how
difficult it can be to walk into a new space and be vulnerable,
to let yourself be seen.”
Lopez, also the director of critical diversity studies, continued,
“The question of whether you will or won’t be accepted,
it’s a risk worth taking, and I hope all of us continue to
take that risk. You taking that risk makes USF a better place
— your passion, empathy, you inspire us.”
Both Latinas Unidas and LUNA have many future celebrations
lined up, and encourage all Dons to come out and
support on-campus offerings, such as Molcajete, an event that
supports local vendors, on September 28th at Privett Plaza.
a”
Students place pins to map their cultural origins.
Photo courtesy of Samantha Avila Griffin
Students were served conchas, tamales, and horchata.
Photo courtesy of Samantha Avila Griffin
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