Letters
to the editor
Latino
Greeks lead
Re
“Latinos are missing opportunities,”
Opinion, April 21: While I agree with several
of Daniel Fria’s points, there is
one comment he made that I completely disagree
with. The statement you make against Latino
Greeks being a disappointment and “so-called”
leaders and role models is completely wrong
and to be honest, insulting.
Perhaps
your experience hasn’t been the one
that you hoped for, but I can assure you
that many Latino Greeks have made huge contributions
to the Latino community. Many of the Latino
fraternities and sororities were founded
upon helping each other achieve higher education
and helping those Latino’s that couldn’t.
My fraternity has volunteered in countless
community services, including going to underprivileged
schools in Latino communities, feeding the
homeless, and many of us have been or are
mentors to Latino children, one of the things
you suggest the few Latinos in higher education
do to give back to their community.
We
have participated in The Wall/Las Memorias
project, a project that is dedicated to
educate the Latino community regarding HIV
and AIDS. Have I mentioned that one of the
directors is a Latino Greek? Shocking, isn’t
it? One of my sisters is now a council member
in a city where she is helping her fellow
Latinos. I am positive that other Latino
Greeks from their respective fraternities
and sororities can attest to similar leadership
and role model experiences. Latino Greeks
have held leadership positions in ASI and
on the Cal State Long Beach campus, the
Long Beach community and all other surrounding
communities.
You
mention Oscar De La Hoya as an exemplary
role model. While I, too, applaud his efforts
and commitment to his community, I would
also be willing to bet that if Latino Greeks
had millions of dollars, they too would
be giving back in heaps. Unfortunately,
this isn’t the case, yet with what
little each Latino fraternity or sorority
has, with what little time our busy lives
allocate, we still give back to the Latino
community while working towards our degree.
That’s most than most students ever
do.
You
also mention that rather than working together,
Latino Greeks are in competition with each
other. I don’t believe there is anything
wrong with each respective fraternity and
sorority wanting to be recognized, but let
me give you another shock. As of right now
there are several Latino Greeks working
together towards the common goal of organizing
the Chicano/Latino Graduation Celebration,
something that may not have been made possible
otherwise.
Latino
Greeks have emerged as leaders and role
models and will continue to do so. I suggest
that the next time you point out “so-called”
leaders and role models that you aren’t
so quick to judge Latino Greeks, those of
us who are striving and taking advantage
of the opportunities, while giving back
to the Latino community. I hope that the
term Sleeping Giant will soon be erased
in regard to the Latino population, but
in the mean time, Latino Greeks, for the
most part, are not only wide-awake, we’re
off and running.
–
Mariela Esquivias
Delta Sigma Chi
Criticism
of Latinos is misguided
Re
“Latinos are missing opportunities,”
Opinion, April 21: I have a question for
Daniel Frias: Are you describing your personal
alienation in the organization you chose
to pledge, or are you discrediting all of
your fellow peers who have taken strides
and broken barriers to attain an education
because of the social group they affiliate
themselves with?
You
have failed to acknowledge that many Latinos
students are disadvantaged because of their
low socioeconomic status, poor educational
preparation before entering college, and
the simple fact that they are a minority.
Many are first-generation college students
who have chosen to be the first in their
family to pave the way into the system of
higher education.
It
appears to me that you have chosen the wrong
population to attack. Students affiliated
in the Latino Greek system are part of the
few who have chosen to take on the challenge
and educate themselves in a system of higher
education that can not always accommodate
this populations needs. Latino Greeks and
other such organizations serve as support
systems and learning communities for students
who seek assistance in navigating the educational
system or are simply seeking a social outlet
from everyday stress.
As
an aspiring journalist, I feel that you
have defamed yourself and your community
by writing about a population that you have
obviously not researched and therefore have
hindered your credibility as a writer. I
challenge you to redeem yourself by taking
time to research about the growing numbers
of Latinos in higher education. I challenge
you to spend more time highlighting all
those successful Latinos who have made it
though the system, give Latino students
credit for their accomplishments and applaud
those who will continue making efforts towards
victory.
–
Dorali Pichardo
graduate student of counseling
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