04 April 2008

Org. Report: Chicano Caucus of Columbia University by Julia Gonzales

Org. Report: Chicano Caucus of Columbia University by Julia Gonzales


To kick off the school year and welcome our wonderful first years, we, the Chicano Caucus of Columbia University, hosted a mesa (potluck dinner) in celebration of Dia de la Independencia. This was the first of our monthly mesa series in which we invite members and sometimes other organizations to bring a dish and share company, music, and dancing. We also hosted the Fall Conference of ECCSF in which we discussed dualities within our community. Though putting on a conference is always a lot of work, all in all we had a great time and really enjoyed having our fellow Chicanos come to visit. Later that month we held our second annual Dia de los Muertos Event inviting the community to come honor their loved ones Mexican-style. Though, as a group, we always try to keep positivity to a maximum, last semester at Columbia was a tough time for students of color. There were multiple acts of hate that spurred contentious debates about campus safety and administrative support for students of color and diversity initiatives. The most heinous act was the hanging of a noose on a black professor's door which incited media attention all over the country. Members of the Caucus participated in all of the rallies and walk outs that were organized in response to these vicious acts. In November there was also the highly publicized Hunger Strike that sought to raise awareness about Columbia's expansion into West Harlem, diversity in our CORE education, Ethnic Studies, and expansion of the Office of Multicultural Affairs and to put pressure on the administration to commit to making important institutional changes. During the strike there were nightly vigils of support, one of which our group was proud to sponsor. Though it was a challenging and exhausting semester for all multicultural organizations, it forced our campus to engage in some serious self-examination, which we believe it can only benefit from.

We hope the next semester will carry the momentum and hard work of the last as we continue to work towards a more cohesive Columbia community. We will be holding our second Dia de la Bandera event which explores the relationship between Mexicans, nationalism and pride, and the flag. This year we hope to open up the dialogue to other Latin American countries as well. For Super Tuesday Chicano Caucus is coordinating an event with Univision to air on the local and national news. It will be a chance for Latino students to talk about the Presidential race and how the candidates are addressing the issues most important to our communities. Members of our group also hope to relaunch our Ballet Folklorico group this Spring and we look forward to great performances from them. Later in the semester we plan to cosponsor an event with the Student Organization of Latinos and the Black Student Organization that would compare the political activism of the Brown Berets, the Young Lords, and the Black Panthers. And of course, who could forget about our annual Cinco de Mayo celebration? We have a lot of work cut out for us, but we are looking forward to a great semester.

We wish all our Chicano, Mexican/ -American, and Latino, brothers and sisters luck in all their endeavours, and look forward to seeing you all at the upcoming conferences!

paz,
the Chicano Caucus of Columbia University

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