Involvement with Latino Affairs

Although I have been a native Spanish speaker all my life, I rarely had an opportunity to speak it in-depth and at a higher level. This desire to express complex thoughts in Spanish led me to discover Tertulia, a discussion group working in tandem with Latino Affairs. Being able to socialize with other Spanish speakers and share our thoughts about complex, political, and personal matters was extremely rewarding (Communication Level 2). Soon enough I began to attend more events held by Latino Affairs and many other cultural events. Attending these with a diverse group of people gave those events a different meaning. It was interesting to reflect upon the similarities and differences of our struggles and success. I realized my self-concept was expanding. Despite growing up in a small rural town in Minnesota, I still felt an inherent connection with many of the other Hispanic students. (Self-Awareness Level 2). Despite most students being Hispanic or Latino, there was great variety in backgrounds and beliefs among the individuals. Some had been born outside the country; some knew Spanish well, while others did not know any. Even those with similar backgrounds differed in the ways in which they identified themselves as (Knowledge and Understanding Level 3). Overall, I gained a greater appreciation and interest for a culture which is part of my history and background.

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