By Jaida Dent
On Monday, Feb. 3, the Immigrant Student Success Office (ISSO) welcomed the BC Community to the spring semester by hosting its first Monday Lounge Hour of the semester. In honor of the Lunar New Year, ISSO taught attendees how to make lanterns out of colored construction paper.
“Monday lounge hours are essentially a time for students to come to the office, chill, interact with other students, and do a small activity […] We also try to focus on how diverse our students are and try to do activities to cater to all our students,” said Diana Reyes, a BC senior and ISSO’s program and community building fellow.
Lunar New Year is a holiday celebrated by several Asian countries and occurs based on the first new moon of the lunar calendar. The holiday features follows a 12-year cycle based on the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac. 2025 represents the year of the snake, which symbolizes good luck and rebirth, reflective of a snake shedding its old skin. The lanterns associated with the Lunar New Year are a symbol of starting the year with good fortune. The color red is also associated with good fortune and joy.
This event held great importance as this marked the first semester that CUNY will be observing four religious and cultural holidays, as previously reported by The Vanguard. Along with Lunar New Year, CUNY will be celebrating Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, and Diwali. ISSO often holds events to celebrate holidays from a variety of cultures, as they offer services to a host of students from different backgrounds.
“Because we serve a diverse set of students, we would want students to feel represented here at the office. That’s why it’s important for us to also have our activities aligned with the calendar and also celebrate our diverse body of students,” said Reyes.
The event was met with great reception. Attendees were able to come together and learn how to make lanterns in a variety of ways. Each person added their own embellishments to it, whether adding layers to the lantern or writing quotes on the side.
“Today we made little lanterns, and it’s always really fun. It’s always a very intimate thing […] I really enjoy my time here. I always feel really welcomed,” said Brenda Bravo, a BC senior.
This semester, ISSO will be holding ‘Monday Lounge Hour’ events in which students can participate in an activity connected to cultural events, holidays, or even just a study hour. Through these events, ISSO aims to promote and build community, especially for immigrant students, students of color, and undocumented individuals.
With the second term of the Trump Administration beginning last month, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs are at risk as reported by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). President Trump signed executive orders that called for the removal of the equal opportunity policy which prohibits workplace discrimination and provides more job opportunities for underrepresented groups.
Along with DEI programs threatened, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) apprehensions have rapidly increased, as reported by CNN. ICE reported on X on Jan. 26 that it conducted nearly 1,000 arrests with over 500 detainers as the Trump administration calls for a nationwide immigration enforcement blitz. With the current climate, ISSO seeks to remain a place of safety for students who may be affected by the situation.
“I feel like now more than ever there’s a really big sense of fear and anxiousness, and what we want to do is to continue to promote a safe space […] Just making sure that we’re not stopping students’ lives, but that they’re aware of the risks that there are and that they know how to move, they know their rights and they know how to protect themselves,” said Leslie Ramirez, ISSO’s program coordinator.
Along with ensuring students know how to protect themselves, the office supports students through several measures. ISSO offers services including legal support, personal counseling, and assistance with applying for scholarships. The office will continue to be a place that students can turn to for community and safety.
“Whether it is through the Monday lounge hours, whether it is through providing the legal services or connecting students to legal services and other resources that they may need throughout these tough times,” said Reyes, “we’re just mainly focusing on building community and showing that we are present, we are here, and it’s important for us to show that to our students.”
For those interested in learning more about ISSO, visit their Instagram @issobc or visit their website https://www.brooklyn.edu/dosa/student-support-services/isso/.