Upbeat music and feelings of family and community filled the Pierce College Library and Learning Crossroads as students and faculty gathered to celebrate Latino Heritage Month on Monday, Oct. 7.
Financial Aid Outreach Coordinator Marisol Ramirez summed up the event, saying, “It’s a family thing, when we get together, we are family.”
The 2022 census shows that Los Angeles County has the largest Latino population in the United States, making it more than likely that you’re bound to meet someone of Latino heritage.
Ramirez shared why she believes events like these and Latino Heritage Month are crucial.
“At some point, anywhere in Los Angeles you’re going to meet someone that comes from a Latino background, so knowing a little bit more about our culture will help them know a little bit more,” Ramirez said.
Participants took part in a few rounds of Loteria, which is a bingo-like game played with cards and pinto beans. The exhilarated shrieks of winners were met with candies as prizes, adding to the feeling of celebration.
Diego Paez, an organizer of the event, explained why having the event was important.
“To build a welcoming community for our Latinx students on campus, the goal being to improve student retention for the population,” Paez. “We just provided extra support for students who come in, do homework and get connected to other resources on campus.”
Paez also shared why he believes it’s important to recognize Latino Heritage Month.
“There are so many other countries and different people, it’s also cross-cultural,” Paez said. “It’s mostly about identity and culture to make these students feel like they’re seen.”
The Library and Learning Crossroads serves as a place of assistance and community to those who enter. Beyond the Latino Heritage Month celebration, the LLC is home to the Associated Student Organization and varying clubs and organizations that fit a variety of interests.
Darcy Corwin, the Basic Needs Program Lead at Pierce, explained how the center aims to provide resources to undocumented students, access to financial aid, scholarships and legal assistance to help students get on the path towards citizenship. Corwin said she loves hosting events like this at the center.
“I love when students come in and are shy at first and eventually see themselves in this, where they originally wouldn’t or be affiliated with but then realize, ‘Hey maybe I can contribute to a group that is different from me,’” Corwin said. “And they’re now a part of a community they never managed themselves to be in.”
Eric Sandoval, a Business Administration student at Pierce, shared how he heard of the event and why he decided to take part in the festivities.
“The notification on my phone let me know that this was going down at the school,” Sandoval said. “I’m always at every event no matter what it is, I like to stay involved and be involved.”
Sandoval said events like these remind him how it’s important it is to share cultures across races and ethnicities.
“I studied Chicano Studies a bit, and what it means to me is that everyone should get together no matter what race you are,” Sandoval said. “I grew up in Los Angeles, so Latino to me means Mexican, Black, Salvadoran, Houndorian, Japanese even, too.”
