In an effort to raise cultural awareness, students and faculty are restarting the Spanish and Hispanic student organization on Oklahoma Christian University’s campus.
Gary Jones, the multicultural and service learning coordinator, helped start Oklahoma Christian’s Latin American Student Organization (LASO) in 2015. LASO struggled to maintain momentum after older students in the group graduated.
Senior Ashley Holland is now president of the Latin American and Spanish Student Organization (LASSO). She said once Jones saw her passion for her Hispanic heritage and roots, he reached out to her to lead LASSO. Holland chose to rename the organization to be more inclusive and inviting to Spanish students.
“Those who identify as Hispanic or Spanish are more likely to feel overlooked when the name only includes a specific region of Spanish speakers,” Holland said. “Most people don’t realize, but Hispanic and Spanish are different and not always interchangeable, which can sometimes be offensive if not correctly identified. I hope that my decision to change the name helps with inclusion and acknowledgement of Hispanic and Spanish students, to show that all are welcome.”
Holland said she hopes to bring new ideas, momentum and generate more interest in this group of students, which she believes will be beneficial to the school’s community.
“My dream for this group is that it opens the eyes of the OC community to heritage, obstacles and even difficulties of these minorities,” Holland said. “I want this group to focus on the beautiful history and culture that Spanish and Hispanic students have, and I want those students far from home to feel more at home and included in Edmond, OK.”
LASSO is not exclusive to Hispanic or Spanish students but is open to everyone. According to Holland, she wants everyone to feel comfortable engaging in a culture and its traditions, which they might not have encountered otherwise.
“I believe it is so important for people to be able to be comfortable being around things that might be culturally different to what they are used to in a predominately white community,” Holland said. “I think it is a valuable trait to be able to be comfortable around things that are unknown to you, and I think OC is a great place to be able to test the waters in that way.”
According to Holland, she and Jones plan on bringing either a Hispanic or Spanish speaker to campus to share their stories and how they were able to rise above obstacles in their lives as a minority to be where they are today.
“I think it’s important for OC to hear these types of testimonies, as well as meaning so much for our Hispanic and Spanish students to see someone of importance who reminds them of themselves while they are in a predominately white community here,” Holland said.
Holland said she believes LASSO will help raise cultural awareness on campus. She said the work the Black Student Union has done in hosting talks and responding to news and national events has allowed the Hispanic and Spanish communities to feel comfortable acknowledging and talk about often uncomfortable topics.
“I only hope that LASSO can bring the same type of awareness to racial injustices and hurt of the Hispanic and Spanish people, especially with the tension surrounding specifically Mexicans in today’s political climate,” Holland said.
Sophomore Yesenia Gomez is the vice president of LASSO, and Holland said she is in the process of selecting her other officers. Those interested in taking place in LASSO can email Holland.
“I think many students would be surprised to know how many Spanish and Hispanic students are enrolled at OC,” Holland said. “Many of those students feel overlooked and uncomfortable being so far from home in a different culture. I hope this organization can help bring those people out, and to bring non-Hispanic and non-Spanish students in, to create a place where understanding and love is at the root of everything we do and discuss.”
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