By Vanessa Cruz
“Sí, se puede” (yes, it can be done) were the words that rang through the Leonard & Claire Tow Center for the Performing Arts on Tuesday, Sept. 24. To celebrate Latinx Heritage Month, the Immigrant Student Success Office (ISSO) in collaboration with the Puerto Rican and Latino Studies Department (PRLS), the Dominican Student Movement, the Black & Latino Male Initiative (BLMI), and the Student Activities Involvement and Leadership Center (SAIL) at Brooklyn College hosted “The Latinx Story: Past, Present and Future.” The event highlighted the accomplishments of both the local and global Hispanic populations, delving first into the history of our students at Brooklyn College.
As students entered the building, lyrics from “Como la Flor” by Mexican-American singer Selena Quintanilla filled the room. Day of the Dead Flags, and those of various Latin and Hispanic countries, lined the staircase of the Performing Arts center. To start the event, Jesus Perez, director of ISSO, welcomed attendees with wise words: “Our voices and stories can only grow louder if we come together.”
Latinx Heritage Month runs from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. It is a time to celebrate everyone of Latinx descent, especially those who have made an impact in the community, like esteemed BC Professor Tony Nadal, who co-founded the PRLS before his retirement in 2016. Nadal is also well known for being a determined activist while a BC student in the 1960s.
“When I, for example, came to Brooklyn College, there was a small number of Puerto Ricans. I think we were like .5 [percent] of the total enrollment,” said Nadal. “[They] were instrumental in creating what we have here today.”
In 1968, BC’s student body was 96% white. At a time that Nadal described as having a “reputation for having transformed this country in many positive ways,” the 60s were a massive transformation for many communities worldwide including the Hispanic community. This inspired Nadal to explain that we should “think of the global and act local.”
Following the words of Professor Nadal was Professor Alan Aja, who currently works in PRLS. Aja brought forth a quote by James Baldwin that states, “Please try to remember that what they believe, as well as what they do and cause you to endure, does not testify to your inferiority but to their inhumanity and fear.”
“This is what PRLS does,” Aja said. “ We ensure that you know whence you came. Part of what Latinx Heritage Month can do, right, we can reclaim it, in a sense, right? We can use those acts of resistance, and we place it in a space where there is no limit to where we can go.”
Following his speech, attendees were able to partake in refreshments and food native to many Latinx cultures–arroz con habichuelos (rice and beans), maduros (sweet plantains), empanada de pollo (chicken empanada), and pernil (roasted pork) to name a few.
Juan Perez, who opened the event, took to the stage one more time following the brief intermission and engaged the crowd by chanting “Se puede” (one can) to which they replied “Sí, se puede” or “Yes, it can be done.”
As Antonio Reynoso, the 20th Brooklyn Borough President began his speech as the final and keynote speaker for the event, he reflected on what he called “the no excuses part of who we are as Latinos,” which he says his parents, and many other Latinx families, came here with.
“I do think it’s gonna take us to new heights, where I’m not only the first Latino Borough President, so that we could start seeing citywide elected officials statewide, elected officials that are Latino, which has never been achieved in this state,” Reynoso said. “[New York State has] one of the largest populations of Latinos in the entire United States, and we still have no state or citywide representative in its history. And that has to change.”
Reynoso reflected on his journey as a student, citing a 1.4 GPA in his first semester at Syracuse University and his experiences as, what he referred to, “being the only Black boy in a room.” He credited his later success in life, both personally and professionally, to Kobe Bryant’s five-minute rule, which states that all you need is five minutes to be great, but five more minutes than the next person.
“A lot of people see greatness as something that is unachievable, something that you need a talent level that surpasses like the normal person walking in the street,” said Reynoso. “But with five minutes, you can really separate yourself from the next person.”
At the event’s closing, Reynoso was awarded a Certificate of Recognition for his commitment to the betterment of the Hispanic and Latinx community. The certificate cites this accomplishment as creating an opportunity for the next generation of Latinx and Hispanic leaders who continue to fight for social justice. To the speakers, having the Latinx Heritage Month celebration at BC means that the community will continue to soar to new heights.
“I love [BC] now, because look at what we have created,” Nadal said. “I think all of you should feel proud that you are part of communities that are looking forward.”