Latinx Student Union Unites, Educates, and Empowers Fellow SDSU Latinx Students

The Latinx Student Union (LSU) was conceived to address a scarcity of Latinx affiliated organizations, community, and representation on San Diego’s State University’s campus. Officially established in the fall ‘20 semester, students Rebecca Perez, Serena Causor Rodriguez, Randy Collado, Anaiee Aguilar, Mikayla Acosta, Alondra Hernandez, and Maria Alvarado all worked to bring this effort to life.

According to SDSU’s Presence site which encompasses all the recognized student organizations, LSU’s mission is to, “unite, educate and empower Latinx students through the celebration of culture, and the promotion of positivity, mentorship, purpose, and awareness in all that we do. Ultimately, to inform and involve all members in issues that may affect their lives or welfare of the community.”

Perez, LSU executive president and fourth year criminal justice and chicano/a studies major, said “As a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) we saw the lack of Latinx affiliated organizations, so we decided to create a union for Latinx students to have a community where they were able to feel empowered, educated and supported.”

LSU’s secretary and second year psychology major, Aguilar, said “We all wanted a place that felt like a home away from home, and a place where we could learn more about other Latin cultures and overall surround ourselves with support and resources.”

Since their establishment, LSU has hit the ground running and worked to provide valuable resources and events for the Latinx community at SDSU.

Their recent “Leadership for Change Panel” featured guest speakers President Adela de la Torre, Dolores Huerta, Dr. Nadia Lopez, Xiuhtezcatl Martinez and Sean Elo-Rivera.

According to Perez, future panels will encourage Latinx students to become the leaders the Latinx community needs to create positive change.

“There will be a chance where people attending the events will be able to ask questions as well as interact with the panels to provide a more personal experience,” Aguilar said. “We hope that what people take from this is a sense of pride, to see the wide variety of things the Latinx community can achieve no matter what obstacles we are faced with.”

Upcoming events LSU has lined up include a “VALUED Leadership” discussion led by Dr. Nadia Lopez on March 29, and two financial literacy workshops in April.

“Overall, I hope LSU can provide the connection to campus many students have been searching for and ultimately provide a safe space full of representation,” Aguilar said.

For more information on the Latinx Student Union and how to register for their upcoming events visit their Instagram page @sdsulsu.

The content within this article has been edited by Lizbeth Persons.