Americans, Too: Latino Students in Colorado and the LAEF
Words matter, and often, those who dissect political rhetoric fail to forget that words uttered by politicians have a tangible impact on the lives of real people who live and work as members of our own communities. Though media and mainstream society have raced to normalize Donald Trump’s violent white nationalism under the troubling guise of needing to “come together and give our president a shot,” the vitriolic bigotry he has used to gain power has placed a tragic burden on many different communities, including Latino college students.
As many of you can probably attest, it is easy to become so enraged and yet so disillusioned with our political system that we forget one meaningful fact: Communities Donald Trump has attacked have thrived despite him and will continue to grow and prosper regardless of what his presidency becomes. The resilience of marginalized people is profound, and that is certainly the case for Latino college students as well. There are entire bodies of research that Latinos can toss back to refute the racism we often hear, but more meaningful than that are the countless narratives of Latino college students working against the odds to build lives for themselves as members of campus communities across the country.
One of these narratives is that of Laura Valle, a college student in Colorado. She told me, “The college experience as a student of color gives me great pride as a student.” Wanting to “break the barriers Hispanic women face,” she said. “It is my purpose now to be an example for my four nieces and other younger Hispanic girls out there that an education can open up more doors than one can imagine.”
To advocate for incredible college students like Laura, strong organizations need to be working behind the scenes to support them. One of the many nonpartisan organizations doing incredible work on behalf of Latino students and undocumented students specifically is the Latin American Educational Foundation (LAEF). This 68-year-old Colorado organization’s mission is to provide “access to higher education for Hispanics in Colorado.” The oldest and largest scholarship organization of its nature in the state, LAEF has awarded over 6000 scholarships. In an economy that has not seen household wealth rise equally with the unyielding growth of tuition and fees, the work of LAEF has become more critical than ever.
Research done by Nina L. Dulabaum highlights the added educational disparities in pre-postsecondary schooling that unduly burdens Latinos with challenges once they get to college. Her work quoted one Latino student as saying, “We need help transitioning from high school, coordinating school with work schedules, making future plans, improving poor study habits, and math skills.” The difficulty of that, piled on top of the financial burden of college, creates an isolating environment that makes it difficult for Latino college students to succeed. This need for financial support, and for a sense of community and support outside the classroom, is urgent and continues to be supported by LAEF.
On the importance of LAEF, Laura says, “[It’s] very important to me as a student because they are more than just another organization. LAEF is — above all — a second family to all of its recipients. Whether we’re having issues with a class or problems at home, LAEF is always there to help regardless of the situation.”
In 2016, to be Latino and in college means having to work harder against the troubling current of aggressive racism present on even the most liberal of campuses. Yet, we’re succeeding, and many with the support of organizations like LAEF.
