The Non-Existing Space for Latinx Students in UC Berkeley
By: Ximena Mandujano
Coming to UC Berkeley I was afraid of not finding a Latinx space and not making connections with my peers. I heard how diverse Berkeley was, and yet people would share that they did not have a lot of Latinx friends. I have been fortunate enough to have found a supportive Latinx friend group , but now the problem is the institution and what they have not been doing to provide space for the Latinx community.
During my time here in UC Berkeley I have attended various Latinx events; for example talks hosted by the Latinx Research Center (LRC), and other events held in the Latinx Student Resource Center (LSRC). A common theme I hear is that we will always show up to be part of a community, but another more disappointing theme is the limited space, especially in the LRC. In late September, my class attended a special event for the author Gloria Azaluda, a Chicana activist. When we arrived, there was limited seating, and the standing space was also small and cramped. Not to mention, the venue had little to no ventilation on a scorchingly hot day. The LRC is literally in an old home, all the main events are in the larger living room but it’s still not big enough. This was only my second event in the LRC, the first was, sadly, no different.
Meanwhile, the LSRC also has its issues. First of all, it only opened Fall 2022 in the basement of Hearst Gym, but due to flooding, the center had to relocate to the Hearst Field Annex. After being moved to the Annex, they again had to move us from Building B to Building C. While Carol Christ was still chancellor, there were many meetings that discussed a permanent space since the temporary space was extremely limited. The space is shared amongst different Latinx organizations, closes early compared to other resource centers, and does not have basic funding. Like the LRC, this space also faces issues with limited seating and overcrowdedness. This April, I attended an undergraduate research conference, which are typically held in larger venues, in the LSRC. My friend who is part of the Latinx in the Environment fellow conference stated that every year they would be reserved a smaller and smaller space. The hallways where the fellows had their research posters were cramped and hard to walk through. Even when stopping to listen you could not give them 100% of your attention because of the close proximity to other fellows presenting or being aware of having to move for others to pass. This is the sad reality for most Latinx events, we are given small spaces and are being ignored by the University.
What is given to the Latinx student population is practically nothing. The LSRC can not rely on university funding, instead outside donors are providing funding and are working with the university to ensure a permanent space. The university clearly cannot follow through on donor and student requests; since 2019, there have been discussions of a permanent location and now in 2024 we are still housed in a temporary space. The university is not addressing our needs thus causing limits to our educational opportunities and success as Latinx scholars. UC Berkeley is truly not a Latinx serving institution, it disregards the struggles or needs of the tiny Latinx population that does exist on campus.