Following declined student group recognition from the Student Involvement Board of the Boston University Student Activities Office, the Latin American Students Association hosted a town hall forum called “Forum for Latins on Campus” Sunday afternoon to voice opinions and consider the possibility of appealing the decision.
Approximately 30 students, including board members from Alianza Latina, the Mexican Students Association and those interested in the future of the Latin American Students Association, met in the Ziskind Lounge on the second floor of the George Sherman Union.
Abby Myette, an associate director of SAO, said in an email that the Involvement Board has not given a final decision, based on the appeal, about the club’s recognition and has asked it to consider collaboration with similar existing clubs.
“Since its inception, the Student Involvement Board has made this type of a request a number of times when a proposed group has significant similarities to an existing group,” she wrote in an email. “The goal is to ensure something truly new and unique is being added to the cadre of student groups we currently have.”
At the forum, students could sign up for a slot to speak for a few minutes to give their opinion, suggestions or general comments about how the club should approach the situation.
Paola Peynetti Velázquez, founding external relations manager of the Latin American Students Association and current president of the Mexican Students Association, said having a Latin American Students Association is necessary for students to feel represented and have “a safe place.”
“I don’t think it’s anybody else’s concern, right or obligation to define someone’s space,” said Peynetti Velázquez, a fourth-year student in the College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Public Health.
“[It would be like] if you gathered an Ethiopian, a Nigerian, a Tanzanian kid and they all wanted to create an African student organization and they came to SAO, and SAO was like ‘Oh yeah, you should just join the African-American club.”
Peynetti Velázquez said the group is not discouraged by SAO’s decision and will work to gain recognition for the association. Hundreds of students and faculty have signed a petition in support of the group gaining official recognition, she said.
Angelica Silva, president of Alianza Latina, said she recognizes the need for a group such as the Latin American Students Association.
“We recognize the need for a space where international students feel comfortable, where they can be fully catered to and where they have resources to use throughout their BU experience,” said Silva, a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Luis Castro, a freshman representative for Alianza Latina, said the club aims to collaborate with the Latin American Students Association, but recognizes the differences between the two groups.
“We want the members of both groups to really experience both and really try to get know this new international group that we’re all trying to form,” said Castro, a freshman in CAS. “They have two very similar yet distinct missions. It’s very important that as members of the Latino community, we be aware of both sides of this larger story.”
Several students said they hope the Latin American Students Association will provide a place that is open and welcoming of international students.
Mateo Zambrano, a junior in CAS, said having a group that better meets the needs of international students distinguishes the association from others on campus.
“Since coming to BU, it’s been incredibly difficult to simply find international Latin American students since we’re so peppered all over campus,” he said. “There are definitely groups of people on campus, but I feel like a lot of the time, they are very closed.”
Frances Bravo, a senior in the College of Engineering, said he hopes students can find a sense of community and friendship within the Latin American Students Association.
“It took me until my first semester of senior year to actually have met a group of Hispanic people I can identify with,” he said. “I feel like I’ve known them all my life. I just want freshmen to create this bond with friends like this … [The] bond between internationals is different.”
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story stated Paola Peynetti Velázquez’s title as president of the Latin American Students Association when she is actually the external relations manager. The story has been corrected to reflect this change.
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