Editor’s note: The “Fiesta” event was sponsored by ALPFA (Association of Latino Professionals For America), which is a new student group on campus. Pura Vida, El Sueño Español (Spanish club) and Enactus all co-sponsored the event. The article reflects the correction.
Your eyes are closed as you walk into this room.
Your ears hear the fast music and the laughter of everyone around you. The aroma of rice and beans creeps into your nose. You picture your abuelita and the rest of your family welcoming you in.
Once you in step closer, you open your eyes and then realize you are in Grace Hall.
Being a second to third year college student, you would think we would get used to being away from family and your Latino traditions. We spend about four in a half months away from home and we find ourselves adjusting to what is around us. In a Hispanic household you would be woken up by salsa music at 7 a.m. That is the cue for “it’s cleaning day”. While we are in college there are times we can’t do that. We have roommates and neighbors. As much as we would love to blast our Latino music and roots everyday, we are mindful of others.
The Association of Latino Professionals For America hosted a Latin Festival in Grace Hall on Wednesday, Oct. 17th. The event leaders greeted you in and asked you to sign in. After you signed in, you would see a big map of the whole world. They encouraged each student to pin where they were from or their ancestors. It warmed my heart when I put my pins on Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic. I felt a sense of pride. I thought about my grandfather and the journey he made from Dominican Republic to the United States. I thought of Puerto Rico and how they built themselves up after the hurricane. I thought of my entire family and the fun parties we would throw.
After I put my pin in, I looked at the map and was immediately amazed at how many Latin countries were pinned. Next to the map there were cultural instruments and photographs of the some of the Latin countries. I joined the food line my friends. I was so excited to consume Hispanic food because it had been so long. As I went up each server asked me, “Would you like this?”. Let’s just say that by the end of the line my plate was full. They served dishes from Ecuador, Puerto Rico and Mexico.
As I sat down with my friends they would ask me “Hey what’s this?,” and I was very glad to share it with them. As I ate, I observed everyone in the room. They were so comfortable and happy. You would see students and faculty dressed in their cultural outfits. When the music got louder you would see the dance floor filled with people doing cultural dances, dancing with people they did not know and sharing a smile. This event made me think about my two countries while we are in school getting caught up with tons of homework.
This event helped Latino students create a community within Cabrini. It made us reflect on cultural, stories, family and traditions. It was a platform where we were able to share our culture with our friends.
Great article, Ally! I am so proud of all you have accomplished at Cabrini and I am especially happy to know that this event inspired all those wonderful emotions in you. I would like to clarify, however, that the “Fiesta” event was sponsored by ALPFA (Association of Latino Professionals For America), which is a new student group on campus. Pura Vida, El Sueño Español (Spanish club) and Enactus all co-sponsored the event as our members all shared in the vision of ALPFA to have an event on campus that celebrates the Latinx culture to close out Hispanic Heritage month, which is Sept. 15th – Oct. 15th. Our hopes is to make this a tradition at Cabrini, making it bigger and better with each passing year. Thank you for covering the event and for contributing to it’s success.