VO: In room 211 of the U-High building during lunch break on Tuesdays, members of Latinos Unidos participate in activities and discussions circulating a wide number of Hispanic topics and traditions. Not only has this club been a space for  people of Latino ethnicity, but those who practice different cultures get to learn more about the Hispanic world as well. Senior Camila Bravo, a co-president of the club, elaborates on that as well. 

CAMILA: Here at Lab, there’s not a lot of Latino students. So what we’re doing at Latinos is encouraging people who are interested in Latin American culture, that can be, you know, like members who are Latinos, bring their friends so that they come in.

VO: That being said, this affinity group’s activities have not only allowed students to embrace their own identity, but others who are curious to dig deeper into something new and different within a community.

SARI HERNÁNDEZ: When I first started, Latinos Unidos was really small.

VO: This is Sari Hernández, a faculty sponsor for Latinos Unidos since 10 years ago. Ms. Hernández describes how the “ofrenda”, or altar for the Mexican holiday Dia De Los Muertos has evolved over the years as the club has expanded.

HERNÁNDEZ: In my first year, our “ofrenda” was just, like, a student desk that was, like, in a corner of, like, the, the cafe, and so, whereas now, not only is it literally much larger, but also, like, the number of students that are involved.

[Natsound during club meeting] 

VO: Camila also brought up issues in Latin American countries the club discusses and how the community collectively responds to those issues, such as …. 

CAMILA: Our, um, anti-ICE whistle packet building, um, that was something that brought the whole community together, and that was one way that we do it, uh, but mostly just like, inviting friends over. And it’s really nice to see people from different backgrounds, um, get to talk and connect about current events, especially relating to, like, the Latino countries.

VO: In which there is an even deeper significance specifically for people with a different background.

CAMILA: Just knowing that you have classmates that are affected is really important.

VO: Sophomore Paige Mattiello, a member of non-Latino origins deeply interested in the club, explains how it is able to invite people from a wide range of backgrounds and let them express their cultural identity. 

PAIGE: We just started doing presentations, so every week, someone presents something about their culture, and the thing that they like about it. Like, we’ve done foods, we’ve done arts, colors, and I think that’s just really interesting because it’s a lot of, you get to know about someone specifically as they talk about their specific country, and where they’re from with that. And, um, and also with their events a lot, they had the Day of the Dead event, they just had the making tortillas event, and I just think it’s really fun and really amazing. 

VO: As Latinos Unidos, as well as other affinity groups, continue to grow and develop, members of the group remain open and inclusive to people of all ethnic and cultural identities to help learn as well. 

[Natsound of the end of the club]

VO: Reporting for U-High Midway, I’m Husain Asif