Abstract
The Latino Cultural Center (LCC) at Purdue University is 1 of 2 in the state of Indiana, with the other housed at Indiana University. Choosing to pursue higher education has its challenges, but not everyone has access to the same resources or community support that helps make the process easier. The LCC, like the other cultural centers on campus, is vital in distributing resources that aid in student success. They work to create an inclusive environment for the entire campus community by fostering meaningful dialogue and cultural understanding of the Latino/e/x community. They aim to support Latino/e/x faculty and staff while also empowering Latino/e/x students to succeed by giving providing them with vital support systems. Cultural/community work is often seen as shadow-work; its efforts are not validated and labor not prioritized. We often only see its impact when it's pointed out to us or if we directly benefit from it. As an undergraduate student-worker at the center and senior at Purdue University, I see the work which happens in the shadows that deserves to be spotlighted and credited for its contributions to student success. In this community partner snapshot I aim to illustrate the impact culture, community, and sense belonging can have on the student experience when pursuing higher education.
Recommended Citation
Valentín Díaz, Kamilah Mercedes
(2023)
"The Latino Cultural Center: Higher Education and the Importance of Community,"
Purdue Journal of Service-Learning and International Engagement: Vol. 10
:
Iss.
1,
Article 10.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5703/1288284317694
Available at:
https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/pjsl/vol10/iss1/10
DOI
https://doi.org/10.5703/1288284317694
Included in
Adult and Continuing Education Commons, Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons, Ethnic Studies Commons, Latin American Languages and Societies Commons, Latina/o Studies Commons, Liberal Studies Commons
