The Latino Student Union is an organization that was founded in 1972, but since then has opened their doors to more than the Latino community.
“We wanted to give students a place to exist in their own culture. [Now] we have provided a safe space of inclusion and a means to fight oppression and promote social change,” Public Relations Chair Chris Lanton said.
Although the goals of the organization have always been consistent, Lanton knew something still didn’t feel right.
He decided one of the first steps for the organization [after his election] was to change the name of ‘Hispanic’ heritage month to ‘Latino’ heritage month in the city.
“We are not all Mexican, there is more than one image of Latino. We’re trying to break those stereotypes and rewrite an image that’s a positive one,” Political Action Chair Catheline Perez said.
Lanton stresses the importance of allies and says another goal for LSU this year is to welcome students of all ethnicities.
“The topics are about Latinos— but I’m not Latino,” Lanton said. “We now have a sign that says, ‘Not Latino? Not a problem.’”
He says his initial hopes were to collaborate with other organizations and to invite more people to be supportive but allies should not be LSU’s main focus.
“It’s not always beneficial to be inclusive— we need to make sure our doors are visibly open to everyone, but that Latino issues are the focus,” Lanton said.
Treasurer of LSU Hannah Cardenas admits she was reluctant to join LSU due to her past experiences with racism.
“I’m a first year generation student, but my story is a little different. I’m a townie,” Cardenas said. “Coming from BG, it’s a predominately white town. You come from a subtly racist place and you start noticing it more. I had to get over that. There are stereotypes embedded everywhere.”
Perez has also witnessed these stereotypes in every environment she’s been in, but says since joining LSU she has felt a secure connection with her peers.
“It’s a big part of my heart— we consider ourselves a family,” Perez said.
After attending weekly meetings for LSU, Cardenas also feels more apart of the community.
“I attended for a year and a half [before running for treasurer] but it started meaning a lot to me after the connections I made,” Cardenas said.
She uses her past to remind her of the social changes that still need to be made.
“We’re really trying hard this year to collaborate and bring in more allies,” she said. “We want to bring in more perspectives— all about LSU issues but with different lenses.”
While each member of LSU has felt responsible for the organization’s success, Lanton feels the stress in more ways than one.
“It forces me to really claim responsibility— academically and socially,” he said. “What I do is a reflection on the organization— positive or negative. I have to be mindful of what I do.”
