Chapman Latinx Club plans events for Latinx Heritage Month

Gabriela Castaneda, the assistant director of career services in Chapman’s Argyros School of Business and Economics, speaks at the Cross-Cultural Center’s Latine Heritage Month kickoff Sept. 9. RYAN CARTEE, Staff Photographer

A familiar scent spreads through the house — familiar not only to sophomore broadcast journalism and documentary major Silvia Miranda, but to all the ancestors who helped pass down her family’s special recipe. Her father cooks authentic Mexican street tacos in the kitchen while, in the living room, her Spanish-speaking brother learns English for the first time in online preschool.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, in a time where inspiration is hard to find, Miranda had to look no further than the walls of her own home for creative inspiration.

“In my documentaries, there are traces of my Latinx identity,” Miranda said. “In everything I touch, there’s a little of who I am and my culture.”

Family and community are values Miranda shares with the members of Chapman’s Latinx Club. That’s why, even over Zoom, Miranda felt compelled to join the club last fall and quickly took on the role of assistant social media manager. 

“The first time I felt I was making real friends and real connections was when I started reaching out to my Latinx peers,” Miranda said. “I felt more seen. It’s a deeper connection I couldn’t have with just anybody.”

Just like the term “Latinx,” the club is an umbrella for a diverse range of cultures and ethnic backgrounds who come together to gain a sense of family as well as appreciate each other’s unique identities. For senior business administration major Samantha Jimenez Garcia, who functions as this year’s Latinx Club president, the group quickly became her home away from home. 

“When I first came to school, it was the first time I ever felt alone, but finding people I could call my family and my community felt amazing,” Jimenez Garcia said. “Being around people that get what you’re going through or understand what you’re trying to say is so important. I hope, as president, I’m still creating that for the people on campus.”

The club participated in the Chapman Cross-Cultural Center Latine Heritage Month Kickoff  Sept. 9 where a number of guest speakers highlighted the origins and current day relevance of the month. The term “Latine” is a gender neutral term for those of Latin descent (similar to Latinx) which sounds truer to the Spanish language, since the X consonant is not found in the Spanish dictionary. This year, Jimenez Garcia strives to balance building community with activism, inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, which directly impacted the Latinx community, in particular, those of Afro-Latinx descent.

“In this era in time, we want to build community and teach our club members what’s going on around campus and around us,” Jimenez Garcia said. “There is a Chapman bubble, and I don’t want our club members to stay inside that bubble, because that’s not something we should do. We should be aware of our surrounding communities and give back.”

Director of Latinx and Latin American studies Dr. Ruben Espinoza came to Chapman in 2017, the same year the club originated. He said it’s almost like he and the club have “grown up together,” both in pursuit of a mission to form a space for Latinx students and allies. 

According to Espinoza, Latinx clubs are an essential asset at any institution, but especially at Chapman, where the racial demographic of students is over 50% white.

“These have been historically marginalized communities, and Chapman may or may not be welcoming to them,” Espinoza said. “A lot of times, they (are not) able to express that in a class, so these kinds of places are necessary. It’s a space for the students to share their own stories — there’s a cultural understanding among them.”

The club places particular emphasis on highlighting Latinx staff and faculty around Chapman as well as the education of historical Latinx figures from around the world. 

“Their stories are not as readily available as the stories of the Founding Fathers of the U.S. It’s important to share history and learn from each other,” Espinoza said. “It’s good for student education, and with that education comes self-esteem and everything associated with that.”

With a new panel of board members in place, Jimenez Garcia is ready to kick off a series of events to both introduce the new school year and celebrate Latinx Heritage Month, including a Sept. 17 potluck where students can share their favorite culture dishes. A list of additional events hosted by the Latinx club can be found under club Vice President Arleth Ulloa’s contribution to The Panther. 

Chapman students can join the club simply by attending meetings and events. The first introductory club meeting will take place Sept. 13, and the group will continue to meet every Monday. Specific times and locations will be posted on the Chapman Latinx Instagram. 

While Jimenez Garcia may be appealing to the students with a Latinx background, a Latinx background is not required to attend meetings and events, but rather an open mind and an appreciation for the distinctness of all Latinx cultures. Members such as Miranda will continue to express their shared values and foster a community of family at Chapman.

“There’s so much beauty to our culture and it’s something I want to carry on for a very long time,” Miranda said. “In order to do that, I have to be surrounded by others who share that same experience and hope.”