Lucy Arias had a clear goal in mind when she founded Latinos Unidos:
“It means connection to my culture,” Arias said. “It means defending my community. It means being proud of the heritage that I have and exploring it and getting to share that with other people to celebrate it. But also to learn new things.”
Arias is an alumna of COD who is now helping current students and anyone else in the community with Latinos Unidos. She majored in history and Latin American and Latino Studies. Arias co-founded this club alongside current student Isaac Delgado to create a “safe space” for Latinos amid a hostile cultural environment; Latinos Unidos was founded to provide better representation, a healthy social club and a social activist group to stand up for their rights.
Their most recent meeting, on Oct. 1, was an event that was part social group and part presentation, informing the audience of the history of Latino Americans’ struggle for justice. It spoke of the historical struggle of groups like the Brown Berets in the 1960s and ‘70s, who fought to protect the rights of Latino people against violent racists. Arias and Delgado explained that the struggle for their rights is not in the past but is an ongoing battle to the modern day, especially in the face of ICE raids targeting their communities.
Arias explained that the club exists to answer certain questions she had about her life: “How do you arm yourself with knowledge? Where do you go to learn and talk about the experiences that you’ve felt, the things that you’ve questioned, with people that already understand what you’re referring to?”
Latinos Unidos is not alone in its struggle for justice. Arias is affiliated with a DuPage community organization known as Casa DuPage, a group of community volunteers who banded together to protect their labor rights. It is also affiliated with another community organization called the Patrulla Popular (People’s Patrol) to strengthen their neighborhoods against oppression. The Patrulla Popular is a sort of “neighborhood watch” whose goal is to respond to suspected ICE raids and provide whatever help they can to Latino families under threat.
There is more to the group than just the political side, however. They also practice something called “artivism,” the art movement of expressing oneself and making a powerful statement in the process. The event on Oct. 1 had a free painting activity in partnership with the Fine Arts Club of COD, in which students were invited to paint on canvas boards with materials all provided for free. This gave students an outlet to express themselves however they wished, which is both an act of personal growth and an act of rebellion against social norms.
Isaac Delgado is a communications major at COD and co-founder of Latinos Unidos alongside Arias. He stressed the cultural value of the club, and talked a bit about his goals with the club.
“It’s a celebration of who we are,” Delgado said. “We want to give a third space, but part of it is having a third space to do these things: Educate our community of who they are and our beautiful history.”
Latinos Unidos is a place where Latinos can be proud of who they are. Members are given an environment where do not have to conform, assimilate or be shamed for being themselves. It is a safe space for a culture that is under fire. Delgado said that he felt “misrepresented” and wanted to have a place where he could represent himself the way he wanted to be seen.
“Some things that aren’t so apparent when you’re being censored your whole life, especially about your own culture,” he said. “Latinos Unidos is not only a good way to learn about your culture, but about yourself as well, and what you can do for your culture.”
Delgado explained that the club has many longer term goals that are about enriching the community more than politics. Some projects on their list are doing homeless outreach, building communal gardens and sponsoring art education to enrich society for the better.
Latinos Unidos’ event blending socializing, activism and art was not random. All of these things are connected in presenting their true values. The club is a way to break out of an unwanted image to express the good things Latino Americans have made and the great things they can achieve. Delgado summed it up nicely with one line: “Self expression is activism.”
Latinos Unidos hosts meetings every Wednesday 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. in Student Services Center (SSC) 1103, and is open to anyone who wants to attend.
