More than 100 Latinas from all different backgrounds filled the University Student Union ballrooms on Friday to share their academic goals and personal testimonials at the 13th annual Latina Connection Conference.
The eight-hour event was themed “Telling our Stories,” and consisted of a a keynote speaker, social activities and attendee testimonials.
The conference’s mission is to empower Latinas by encouraging them to connect with each other, while providing a space to promote self-awareness through reflection and dialogue, according to Cal State Long Beach’s LCC website.
LCC founder and CSULB professor Rosa Moreno-Alcaraz said she started the conference in 2001 to give Latina students a greater sense of belonging at CSULB.
“A group of faculty and staff decided ‘Let’s do this,’ for students, so they can have a place where they can connect with one another, where they can tell their stories and know that they belong here at CSULB,” Moreno-Alcaraz said.
Moreno-Alcaraz said other campuses have followed suit and began hosting their own Latina conferences. In 2003, psychologists at Cal State Dominguez Hills modeled an event called “Latinas Juntas,” or “Latinas Together,” for their students.
“I think that if the Latina students on campus feel a sense of connection and belonging, they’ll engage in the campus community in a very active way,” Moreno-Alcaraz said. “They are going to advocate for themselves and use their voice, affecting everybody else in a positive way.”
Maria Lopez, a junior Chicano Latino studies major, said she appreciates the close-knit feeling the conference brings to campus.
“It’s nice to have a local conference for Latinas and it’s nice knowing more Latinos are going into higher education,” Lopez said. “Conferences like these make the gap between those [who are] educated and not educated smaller.”
Senior human development major Yvonne Aguilar said she came to the conference in search of a sense of direction.
“I’m graduating and I was in hopes that this conference would lead me to something I would feel passionate about,” Aguilar said. “I don’t want a desk job. When I find something I like, I put all of my passion into that thing.”
Many students, such as junior anthropology major Erika Suarez, shared their hope and ambitions with their peers throughout the event.
“I felt like I needed a place where I belonged and where I could share my experiences with other people like myself,” Suarez said. “ Underneath all the labels put upon us, we’re all human beings.”
