Second Draft

Coming to Florida State University, it was a great deal to my family since I’m a first-generation student, but when I arrived here I found I was part of a minority of students that don’t share the same backgrounds or story’s as I was used to from Miami. I expected a difficult transition coming here, but I just didn’t know how big it was going to be. However, HLSU changed that for me. HLSU (Hispanic/Latino Student Union) is an organization here at Florida State University that is primarily made up of Latinx students that come from different backgrounds and places. They are affiliated with the other organizations that are primarily based around their ethnic country, such as: CASA (Cuban American Student Association), MASA (Mexican American Student Association), etc. HLSU’s community brings all people together, no matter who they are or where they’re from.

This is what drew me to the organization in the first place, when I was finding a place for myself being here at a predominately white institution. Being a part of this community, I began to wander more about how this organization can make an impact, and I came up with the question. How can HLSU involve Hispanic/Latinx students here at FSU? I’m interested in finding out how Hispanics can be more involved as well as why they don’t. I decided to interview Odalys Guzman from the executive board of HLSU and got research from scholars that have researched Hispanics at colleges and have the background work under these fields as well.

To start off, Hispanic/ Latinx students have a difficult time dealing with institutions right from high school. The thought of attending a University or Community College is something that for many, don’t even consider just based off past experiences. In Taggart and Crisps article, “The Role of Discriminatory Experiences on Hispanic Students’ College Choice Decisions”, they mention that there is “…a lack of understanding regarding how discriminatory experiences during high school may influence students’ college aspirations and eventual college choice decisions” when it comes to college enrollment decisions. These discriminatory experiences that they mention are events that happened to Hispanic/Latinx students that may prevent them from even applying to universities just because of the memory of being in an uncomfortable environment. The struggle is even greater however, when moved into an area of predominately white people and students.

Jorge Ballinas article, “Where Are You From and Why Are You Here? Microaggressions, Racialization, and Mexican College Students in a New Destination.” He explores the path that Hispanic parents take to moving into new and unfamiliar places. Specifically focusing on the children of these Hispanic parents and the struggle of being in a predominately white school. Ballinas talks about mechanisms in which Microaggressions take place under in, and states that “Through these mechanisms, respondents encounter racialization as nonwhite, are juxtaposed as inferior to whites, and come to learn about their group’s lower status in the United States.” Hispanic students moving into new environments with predominately white students, make them part of a smaller minority then they are already in, and hinders their education and involvement in doing so. This carries over to college and universities as well. Portraying how Hispanic/Latinx students have tough time getting comfortable in an environment like this, can affect how they perform in High School and college, not allowing them to be involved with their school and peers.

There are ways to support Hispanic/Latinx students, and in Gina Garcia’s article “Defined by Outcomes or Culture? Constructing an Organizational Identity for Hispanic-Serving Institutions”, she highlights this idea she calls “Latinx-serving organization” and refers to HSI’s (Hispanic Serving Institutions) and how they are all tailored for Latinx students, so the benefits of this are clearly seen. One major benefit she notes is that “Research shows that the social order within HSIs may help Latinx students feel connected with faculty and staff on campus who speak Spanish or foster the development of a salient racial/ethnic identity.” (Garcia, Pg. #113S) Being in a comfortable environment allows students to prosper. If Latinx students feel connected and comfortable in their environment, they are more likely to be and do better at their education. FSU isn’t a Hispanic Serving Institution, but HLSU is an organization serving for Hispanic/Latinx community that goes here. The small implementation of culture on campus, makes a tremendous impact on the individual.