Latinx Heritage Month: Mujeres Highlight

In honor of Latinx Heritage Month, I would like to highlight Mujeres, Barnard’s first organization at Barnard College dedicated to Latina women. Founded in October of 1997, Mujeres’ purpose as an organization is to provide a space of cultural support that empowers and promotes awareness to different Latinx identities at Barnard College and Columbia University. Mujeres defines Latinx as the gender neutral or non-binary alternative that speaks to students that identify with the pan-ethnic origins/culture that spans all of the Latin American region. As a member of Mujeres since the fall of my freshman year, I personally can attest to the strong sense of community within the organization. As a freshman, I felt extremely intimidated and overwhelmed by the amount of activities I could participate in and was unsure what was fitting for my school/life balance. One thing I enjoy about Mujeres a lot is the lack of stress associated with the club, as there is no formal application to become a member and there was never a sense of having to prove oneself to belonging in the club. 

Halfway through the school week is always rough and exhausting. However, I began to look forward to Wednesdays at 8pm due to the fact that I knew I would be able to relax and clear my mind even for a short while during an otherwise hectic week. During midterms and finals, Mujeres would hold study breaks for members to help reduce stress and further forge community with one another during a particularly stressful time. As of Fall 2019, Mujeres gained the Brooks Piano Lounge as their own physical space to hold meetings and study breaks such as these. The acquisition of this space was a very magical experience for myself and many other Latinx students at Barnard, as the request for a space was long overdue considering the popularity and significance of being Barnard’s only Latinx organization. 

Though the in-person academic year was cut short, the space itself proved to be an incredibly intimate and safe space for so many important conversations that affect our community. The most meaningful conversations for me are the ones that revolve around family and tradition. It wasn’t until I separated from my household for the longest period of time ever (coming to college) that I realized how grateful and proud I am of my heritage and culture. Particularly, as someone of the Central American diaspora, I felt extremely included and validated within Mujeres’ conversations. I mention this because in my experience, many other Latinx spaces I have been exposed to have been extremely Mexican-centric. This is reflected in Latinx media representation in the United States as well. I was not aware of the concept of “Mexican hegemony” until I came to Barnard and was able to explore and interrogate my Latinx identity on my own. Not to mention, being separated from my family made me question the validity of my identity once I was in the city alone.

I am now extremely confident in my Latinx identity and how it intersects with both my racially mixed and queer identities. Mujeres held and continues to hold so much space for diversity amongst its members and showcases that there is no right or wrong way to being Latinx, while at the same time holding important conversations about intersectionality and the difference between race and ethnicity. I do believe that now more than ever, a sense of community is crucial in our collective wellbeing. Though it is through a screen, I am grateful for being able to participate on the e-board this year and communicate with new faces that have yet to experience the glory of the in-person Barnard experience. The Latinx community at Barnard is ever growing and will continue to foster community for each of its members through our meetings, mentoring programs, and otherwise laid-back get togethers (virtually, of course, for now).