Natalie Gamino, Contributor
As a resident of Zechiel House, aka Latinx Heritage House, aka EL House, aka one of my favorite places on campus, I felt very inclined to interview members of the Latinx Student Organization that often operates right out of the dorm’s lounge. Latinx Heritage Month is approaching as I write this article and I can feel my Latinx senses tingling as the days get closer. By the time this is published, we will be a week into the celebrations! So, in honor of my tingles, let me introduce you to the current La Alianza Latinx Board, their favorite Latinx pop culture moments, and other actually deep questions.
To truly understand where La Alianza Latinx is now, some of the board's history has to be stated. To quote the organization’s charter itself:
“In 1972, Latinx students created a Latinx student organization (La Union, now La Alianza) to maintain and strengthen the Oberlin College Latinx community.”
Of course, much has changed since 1972. Not just within LAL but the greater Latinx community at Oberlin. One of the biggest and most recent changes is Zechiel’s establishment as Latinx Heritage House in 2020. The struggle to create a living space for the Latinx community was a battle that past LAL members had to endure. Originally, Latinx Heritage House was just Latinx Heritage Hall on the 3rd floor of North. The current board at the time had discussions of having a Latinx Hall in Harvey or Spanish House. However, because of certain circumstances, that wasn’t able to happen. But, thankfully the space was still able to be established in the end. After this would be the board's biggest hurdle, Covid-19. The board hit a hard pause for almost two years. But, was ready to come back in 2021 with its first board-sponsored picnic that started things up again.
With this history in mind, the first question I asked the current LAL board was why they joined in the first place. Every member responded with a very similar answer, which was the community. Many of the members mentioned feeling an initial discomfort on campus but attending events and interacting with LAL and the community helped them feel at home. Cristal specifically mentioned feeling lonely during her first year on campus due to Covid-19. Joining La Alianza was her way of ensuring that other Latinx students didn’t feel that loneliness at Oberlin. Contributing to the culture on campus was her way of giving back to a community that had already given so much. “The people that came before me, were the reason I kept doing what I was doing.” This is regarding Cristal’s experience with LAL, this being her fourth and final year on the board. Other members echoed this same sentiment. Lily expressed that she saw “People [be] vulnerable in ways that I didn’t think they would be”. This vulnerability is a reason that the members of the board feel a genuine closeness to each other and other Latinx students. Ana stated that as historian, they want to preserve the legacy of the board on campus. The only reason the board is what it is today is because of the work that previous students and faculty members have put into it. This ties back to what Cristal had said prior. Acknowledging the influence that students and professors have had on the Org has created a strong foundation for LAL to grow.
Now, La Alianza is currently in their “Covid Revival” Era, which Gavi coined very eloquently. Having made all this progress in past years, it is easy to see how current members feel pressure towards rebuilding LAL into something that can withstand adversities like the pandemic. Having to rebuild the organization since then has proven challenging to the current board. When asked about any pressure they feel about their positions, Lluvia and Lily expressed wanting to put on events that community members wanted to take part in. Also making sure the Org is living up to its full potential. Lluvia brought up the fact that many things have changed and it was important for LAL “to go back to [their] roots” for them to focus on their mission. Alana mentioned pressure in creating that same energy that made her feel so welcome. She explained that there is real love that you can feel from the legacies that are still talked about by students. She says that the support feels like a hug. A warm and beautiful description of the support she has felt from the Latinx community and LAL. But, she also says it's more than that, “this is a whole community at your back.” By the way, it is described, it is easy to see how real the connections the board has with its community members are. Gavi has acknowledged that one of her pressures is making sure that the board is intersectional and representative of more Latinx cultures, specifically relating to the representation of the Afro-Latinx community on campus. Making sure that LAL puts on events that branch outside of Zechiel was another one of her pressures. Ana also mentioned the intersectionality of the group and their hopes for a more diverse representation of the Latinx community in the future.
This perfectly segues to my next question which asked about the board's hopes for the future of the Org. Also, the current strengths and weaknesses of the board? Ana hopes for more accessible archives and more community outreach, specifically from the Afro-Latinx community as mentioned previously. They currently plan on building a website that includes all the inaccessible archives of the organization so that everyone who wants access to them can. When it came to representing different Latinx identities on campus and the LAL board, they said they were making progress but still wanted to “reach out to more Afro-Latinos, who are underrepresented.” Gavi Perez also highlighted wanting more connections between LAL and other BIPOC student organizations on campus. As well as more involvement of the Latinx First Year’s on campus. Gavi talked about the importance of inspiring younger generations of Latinx students at Oberlin. To keep the organization going and to continue building that love in the community. Gavi also wants to make this a “Latinx Heritage Month worth noting.” because it is the first Latinx Heritage Month that LAL has prepped for since Covid.
In terms of the Obie Population, I also asked the board if they think Oberlin students outside of LAL and Zechiel know about the Org. The answer was a resounding no. Lluvia expressed that she thought other BIPOC students and organizations knew about La Alianza and felt that that was a good thing. Lily and Alana mentioned that Oberlin students see the events LAL puts on but don't know the history or the reason for the event. Alana describes the events as celebrations and that “we celebrate because we need to.” This is a brief tangent but, I was lucky enough to witness this firsthand after I interviewed Alana, Cristal, Lluvia, and Lily. Quickly after the interview a friend of the board, Ezra Pruitt, decided to teach us some dance moves in Zechiel’s lounge. Dance moves that none of us were able to get down, but fun nonetheless. This lively energy that came almost immediately after an emotional interview is a moment that encapsulates the essence of La Alianza Latinx. As a BIPOC student org, the members know that there are always going to be barriers that they will have to overcome. However, there will always be room for hope. Hope that the spirit of the board and the people that helped create it stays alive. Returning to the question, Kimberly also explained that there may be some hesitancy from Oberlin students to learn about the community because it is so tight-knit. But, because the current board is more diverse this semester, she's excited to “get our message across and get more people to go to our events.”
My last and personal favorite question that I asked the LAL board was, favorite event planned for Latinx Heritage Month? Like all the other questions I asked the board members, they responded with very similar answers. The Latinx Sco Night that happened on Sept. 15th was the most popular answer. Especially because of the theme which was to represent your country. Having attended that event, I can see why the board was so excited. It was a room full of so many students dancing, singing, and representing their Latinidad, which is exactly what La Alianza Latinx hoped for. Other events that came up were Latine Vozes Night, which will be on Oct. 6 at The Cat and the Cream. Lily was most excited about this event because she works there and loves being able to “amplify student voices” on campus and within the community. Gavi also expressed how this event, inspired by Immigrant Narratives Night, hosted by Obies for Undocumented Inclusion (OUI), will be able to shine a light on “more of the Latinx Diaspora” and is excited for what people have to say. Past events were also mentioned by Cristal and Alana, specifically the potluck with professors at the end of the 2022 Spring Semester. Being able to interact with the professors and feel that support from them was very important for the event’s attendees. It is because of those professors and previous students that the LAL board has been able to continue. Alana describes them as “pillars” that uphold the community and inspire other Latinx students to be a part of it. Some of these professors were Gina Perez, Ana Maria Diaz Burgos, Sergio Gutierrez Negron, Carmen (Patty) Tovar, and Pablo Mitchell. These professors have served as support for the board in making sure that La Alianza Latinx and Latinx students on campus are not dismissed by Oberlin. They have had a tremendous impact on members of the board and they talk about them with noticeable respect and admiration.
I previously mentioned the board’s reason for celebratory events in regards to Oberlin students knowing about the Org. I want to bring this up again because I think it’s something unique about them. Throughout these interviews, some questions did bring up emotions in the board's responses. Some tears were even shed, which shows how important the Org is to its members. But, the board can take that vulnerability and apply it to all of the events it creates. You can truly feel this when attending any of them. I felt it after interacting with the board. I felt it when we danced after the interviews. I felt it at the Latinx Sco Night which was a huge success for LAL in my opinion. Although the board wants to start taking on more political stances which Cristal brought up, they acknowledge the importance of gathering to remind everyone that they are not alone. There is a whole community of students and professors who will be there as a support system. These are the legacies that La Alianza holds very dear and will continue to uphold them, make more legacies, and celebrate the community as they continue at Oberlin.
Other “pillars” of La Alianza and the Latinx Community that deserve to be mentioned:
Andrés F Carrero, Dulce Sedillo, Eder I Aguilar, Francisco Rojas, Magali Coronado, Minerva Macarulla, Rut Mérida, Haley Sabley, Kevin Lopez, Brian Razo, Emily Aguilar, Andrea Luna