By: Emily Nixon
Contented chatter echoed from room 3305 in James Hall as students and organizers gathered around a table to share a homemade meal. The Black and Latino Male Initiative (BLMI) hosted “Frijoles and Familia” on Sept. 25, in collaboration with Immigrant Student Success Office (ISSO), and brought in homemade Latino food, such as taquitos and the ingredients to make elotes –Mexican street corn– and guacamole or pico de gallo.
The event aimed to provide a space for Black and Latino students to come together and share stories of their cultures guided by preplanned questions while surrounded by members of their community, according to Christopher Rodriguez, the director of BLMI.
“I think [the event] did what it was meant to do, which was to create community and bring students from across the diaspora together to share stories about their culture, their heritage, and traditions from home,” said Rodriguez. “We wanted to bring a piece of home to the campus.”
This event was especially important to Rodriguez, who feels the current political climate is trying to erase Latino cultures.
“A lot of our traditions are being lost. We’re also living through a time where the narrative is that it’s not okay to have our culture, to speak our language, to do the things that we love to do, and so, almost like we need permission,” said Rodriguez. “So, just being able to create a space where we’re telling students, ‘No, you can do it here, too. You can be yourself, and we can share in on these moments together.’”
During the event, Rodriguez recounted how close he was with his cousins in his youth, calling them “primos hermanos [cousin-siblings]”, especially during the holidays when they would gather at his grandmother’s house in Puerto Rico.
“When she [his grandmother] passed away, that kind of [tradition] went away,” said Rodriguez. “And so, we are trying to keep the traditions. My sister and I inherited all the recipes, so we cook everything she used to, and we try to bring our families together as much as possible to teach the next generation.”
Another organizer, Andrea Diaz, a staff member in the Puerto Rican Latinx Studies department (PRLS) at BC, said the community was also severely impacted by the pandemic.
“I think it’s also coming off the pandemic. We need to build that community back again,” said Diaz. “It’s a commuter school, so it’s kind of our role with everything is to get students involved, get more students on campus because we’re stronger together, no matter what, even in the hard times and in the good times.”
Uniting for visibility and space has been a part of Brooklyn College’s (BC) history with PRLS for decades, according to Diaz.
“Our founders protested for the department – took over the President’s office, took over the Bursars’ office. We talk a lot about our history because it’s so important […] it’s super important like staying connected to our roots,” said Diaz.
One of Diaz’s favorite moments in planning events like “Frijoles and Familia” is when the event reaches its peak and takes off after the struggle of piecing the event together.
“It’s a lot of work, but it’s so rewarding,” said Diaz. “My favorite moment in planning events is this, just getting to sit back and just see what I’ve been stressing over for three months come into existence […] Everything is for the students.”
This meticulous planning gives students an experience and community that accepts them for who they are, according to Fia Sanchez, USG Vice President and a BC senior.
“These are all just really great people that I have gotten to know since I was a freshman,” said Sanchez. “I’ve gotten really involved in this community, and I feel like I’ve been able to find somewhere where I can really be expressive of who I am and my culture and feel comfortable to do so.”
The organizers’ efforts do not go unnoticed to students like Sanchez.
“These people put so much heart and care into everything that they do. It shows in the way that people actually show up for the community, and you can feel the energy. There’s good vibes here,” said Sanchez.
One of the only things participants would have changed about the event was the narrow scope of the questions, according to Myasia Brown, a sophomore majoring in Biology.
“[I would add] probably more questions to talk more with each other,” said Brown. “Be more diverse to talk about broader topics.”
For students interested in future events by BLMI, ISSO, or PRlS, they can check out their Instagrams respectively, @bcblmi, @issobc, and @bc_prls.