LATINX HERITAGE MONTH

Moorpark College students, faculty share what the month represents to them



 

The Acorn reached out to Latinx students and faculty at Moorpark College to learn more about the significance of recognizing the contributions of Latinx individuals during Latinx Heritage Month. Here’s what they had to say.

Why is Latinx Heritage Month important to you?

Nicole Bicakci, a third-year student, director of campus events for Associated Students and president of the Latinx club: We have many Latinx students at Moorpark College, and we are a Hispanic-serving institution. Making this known and making students feel like they are a part of something bigger and recognizing their heritage is amazing.

Jorge Herrera, ethnic studies professor: One of the points that I value and I try to get across to students is to recognize that themselves and their ancestors are part of this history. . . . One of the most important things that we can do for young adults is to start building and creating their own identity, and I think it’s very difficult or almost impossible to build a solid identity if you don’t know where you come from.

Samantha Cano, a fourth-year student: Seeing the big sacrifices my parents have had to make over the years—leaving behind their families and friends in Mexico and coming here without knowing anybody—is really inspiring to see how far they’ve come. I think it’s important that we’re reminded, at least for Latinx Heritage Month, to not forget where you came from or where your family came from.

Karina Arteaga, a third-year student and director of student advocacy for Associated Students: It’s important to celebrate our heritage, and it’s a good time to bring up conversations that are harder to talk about within the Latinx community.

Why do you think it is important to honor Latinx contributions after Oct. 15?

Herrera: We need to celebrate not just mid-September to mid-October but beyond that and before that. … People sometimes tend to forget the importance after the month is over, so I think it’s very important to continue the celebrations.

Bicakci: Latinx individuals and communities bring so much to the United States, and I feel like it’s important to be aware of history—our history is so rich— and keep it going.

Marnie Melendez, CalWorks coordinator: When you take (Latinx Heritage Month) further and weave in the contribution that Latinx people have made in your day-to-day activities, it reminds us, it educates us of how Latinx people contributed and continue to contribute to American culture.

Why do you think it is important for individuals who are not Latinx to become involved?

Bicakci: It gets me excited when someone who doesn’t come from our heritage or culture wants to be a part of it because I want it to be all-inclusive. . . . I’m very proud of my culture and where I come from, and I want to share it with everyone.

Cano: At the end of the day, we’re all just human beings and there’s a lot of discrimination toward minorities. . . . I think it’s important for other cultures and other ethnicities to learn about the Latino community and see the value that they can bring into today’s society.

Herrera: If we understand history, we can therefore understand each other in an effort to decrease racism and discrimination and increase understanding and acceptance.

Melendez: It brings us together, and as we are showing our differences, we are realizing that we are a lot alike.

What are your hopes for Moorpark College?

Herrera: My real hope for Moorpark College is to set the bar and set the standard for other campuses to be inclusive and open-armed to ethnic minorities.

Bicakci: I definitely feel like Moorpark College has improved a lot and hope they keep it going. . . . It’s great to feel like you’re a part of a community that understands you and have peers who know the different struggles you go through as a minority.

Cano: I hope Latinx Heritage Month continues over the years. I think it’s really great that Moorpark Colleges does something like this so that Latinos can have a voice.

Melendez: My hope for Moorpark College is to continue to embrace and celebrate all of the different cultures and people that are on our campus.

Arteaga: Moorpark College is now at 39% Hispanic students, and that is really exciting to me. I hope that continues.

Moorpark College is celebrating Latinx Heritage Month with six events, including a virtual presentation on Latinx women in higher education (3 to 4:30 p.m. Mon., Oct. 4) and a talk by Grammy-winning musician Artuto Sandoval (10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fri., Oct. 15). Bicakci is also organizing an event from 4 to 5 p.m. Mon., Oct. 4 featuring flamenco dancers, a food truck, and a Latinx-owned small business.

Editor’s note: The Acorn uses the term Latinx Heritage Month instead of Hispanic Heritage Month. Hispanic refers to someone who speaks or whose ancestors spoke Spanish. Latinx— a gender-neutral form of Latino/a—refers to someone who is from or whose ancestors are from Latin America.

Hispanic is based on language, while Latinx is based on geography.

The individuals interviewed in this story referred to themselves as Latinx.