Why colleges (and Latinos) need Latino student organizations
03/29/2012 By Leave a Comment
“Your community needs you,” said the stranger I’d just met at a party my freshman year. As a kid that had come to college from a part of the country where almost everyone was Latino, I was initially apprehensive about joining a culturally based organization.
A part of me knew she was right, but another part of me wanted to branch out and experience different cultures. I decided to give a couple organizations a chance, and it didn’t take long to realize exactly what she was talking about.
Latino Student Organizations provide a place for college students to build social networks, develop leadership skills, promote the Latino culture, and a family away from the familia that Latinos so greatly cherish.
Organizations range from political, professional, social, and Greek. There are many organizations that only exist at their respective campuses, but there are also national organizations like Movimiento Estudiantil Chican@ de Aztlán, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, and the Association of Latino Professionals