Restorative Justice: A Path, Not a Place with Amy Fisher Quinn ’92 (Copy)

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Written By Sheralyn Smith

During the November meetup, a panel of five current Holy Cross Latinx students shared their perspectives on the HC campus experience:

Please share your class year and one word or phrase that comes to mind when you think about your experience at Holy Cross

  • Senior – Interesting

  • Freshman – Interesting

  • Senior – Compassion

  • Senior – Roller Coaster

  • Sophomore – Interesting

Take 1-2 minutes to share your most rewarding and challenging experience as a LatinX student on campus

Rewards

  • A lot of people to turn to in my own community

  • Being a part of LASO

  • Learning time management and being more comfortable with public speaking

  • As Kimball Captain I got to play my Latin music, this inspired co-workers of color. I would get thanked for doing it

  • Support from professors when they saw my struggling

  • BSU

  • Odyssey provided upper class mentors who were LatinX. Some have graduated but I am still in contact with them

Challenges

  • Navigating a PWI

  • Being the only Black or Latin X in class

  • The food is so different

  • Not many women in economics in general and even less students of color. “Had an experience in economics class where the professor asked students to sit in groups of 2 – 3. On 2 occasions when I asked to be in a group I was rejected.  I was told no when there was room for one more. Told professor and they said they would not group any more, but did not address the issue.”

  • While working in Kimball as the only person of color felt I was taken advantage of and was not heard when there were things I could not do while I was injured

  • Not many women in Computer Science or students of color

  • Monserrat – professor kept confusing me with the one other LatinX in the class

What are your thoughts about the term ”Latinx”? Do you feel that it appropriately identifies you?

  • I’m personally not offended by the term – I do know that some people prefer to be called Latine or just Latina or Latino because it speaks to who they identify as

  • I didn’t know the term before I came to Holy Cross – I don’t think it defines me. I never thought much about it until recently when I went to a discussion with students and adults who complained about the term LatinX as another “label” that the US is trying to put on people of color (when some Latin-Americans identify more closely with another aspect of their background). For example, some may identify more with their Caribbean or African roots.

  • The term Latinx doesn’t bother me – I also didn’t know about it until I came to Holy Cross. Personally, I would use Latina, it’s what I grew up with. I talked to my mom about it as well and she feels the same way, Latina is what we know.

  • Alex Bonano ’17 provided context around the origin of the term Latinx – it’s to be inclusive of the population who do not feel a part of the dichotomist male and female gender roles (such as trans or non-binary persons); it’s to also avoid conventional use of the male term “Latino” to describe a group even though there may be more women in that group.

In what ways can this group of alumni (CHARA) support you and Latinx students on campus and beyond?

  • CHARA collaborating with student orgs to get alums on campus

  • Talk about imposter syndrome

  • Advice about careers

  • Share about challenges, struggles and what went wrong after graduation. It is not always a smooth transition

  • Creating a safe space for BIPOC on campus

  • The HUB has been colonized

  • It was our safe space but now anyone can use it

  • Dr. Wagstaff explained it used to be under OME which reserved it for BIPOC. It is no longer under OME, as that department has now merged. It is no longer a space prioritized for BIPOC

  • The EDGE

    • Off campus apartment, located off 290 in the downtown area. It is a regular apartment building (not exclusively HC student housing). Due to a housing crunch HC allowed students to use their HC financial awards to rent apartments in the EDGE. Was not designed for BIPOC students to live there

    • However, students feel like the majority of BIPOC live there.

      • It has become a get away from campus, a place to gather, our community

      • Students are hearing the EDGE will be taken away next year and they feel bad for younger students losing this space

Sheralyn Smith
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