Gonzalo Bruce
"Gonzalo Bruce is a second year Ph.D. student in the Higher Education & Student Affairs program at OSU. This is his second year working as the Graduate Administrative Associate (GAA) for Hispanic Student Services at The Multicultural Center."
As part of our attempt to study the experience of Latinos in higher education, we interviewed Gonzalo to gain information from someone who is on the front line of helping out the Latino community. We asked him questions concerning a wide range of topics. These topics are described below.
Unique Problems
There are two main problems that Latinos in higher education face that are unique to their community. That is not to say that absolutely no one else has ever faced these problems, many other minorities do, but these two problems combined create a certain complexity that Latinos face while their white peers do not. The first issue is about having one term that encompasses so many people. By lumping people into the word "Latino", it does a disservice to all Latinos. While it is unavoidable to have one word for such a diverse community, it ignores the great differences between those to whom the term Latino applies. It disregards the different number of cultures and the richness of each of those cultures by only acknowledging one "Latino" culture. The second problem is one fought within the community and deals with "Latino-ness". It is the fight Latinos have amongst themselves to prove to one another that they are "truly" Latino. This becomes very stressful to a student when they have the regular pressures of a college life along with having to fight with others over your own identity. Some Latino students come from a very Latino community, speak Spanish, and live the culture while others come from a different upbringing and do not have those Latino interactions. It is the combination of these problems that become a barrier to success for many Latinos in higher education, and it is this situation that Gonzalo works to improve.
Programs' Importance
While it was made clear that these programs offered by Hispanic Student Services (HSS) are important, Gonzalo also noted that Latinos could still make it without HSS. Latinos are at higher education institutions for the same reason everyone else is - to get a degree. Therefore, HSS is there to improve their stay at the Ohio State University (tOSU) and is really just a support system to help the student be all they can be. The potential for greatness does not lie within the programs of HSS, it lies within the student and HSS is important because it helps students fight their problems and allow him or her to focus on why they came and ultimately help them succeed.
Helping or Hurting
Eventually, the question arose of whether these programs help or actually hurt Latino students. The argument could be made that HSS actually hurts Latino students because it causes them to rely on the help of HSS and when a student graduates they will find themselves lost in a world where there is no longer someone there to "hold their hand". To address this issue, Gonzalo points out that college is a transitional period. The programs offered by HSS focus on first year students to help them make the transition into the college atmosphere. Such things as tutoring are offered to these students, but there is an effort to transition these students out by the end of their stay at tOSU. HSS tries to build a foundation on which these students can build on. HSS offers the tools necessary to succeed but it is up to the student to take these tools with them once they leave and use them to help themselves outside of tOSU. In short, HSS does not give students a fish, but instead teaches them to fish.
Programs' Effectiveness
The programs offered by HSS are effective depending on your measure. Gonzalo believes that those members of the Latino community who participate in the programs and take advantage of these resources do succeed. Nevertheless, there are those in the Latino community of tOSU who suffer and yet do not take advantage of these programs. In that respect the program could be said to be not effective. TOSU has a very engaged Latino community but it has proven difficult to extend these programs to others. Therefore, there is not only the challenge of creating programs that help those who use it, but to make programs that will bring in more the Latino population so that HSS can help everyone. HSS has been effective in helping those who use their programs and are constantly working to make programs appealing to everyone.
Educational Barriers
TOSU has a student body that is 2.2% Latino. When talking about why this number is so low, Gonzalo offered a few ideas. One was the cultural aspect that many Latino students simply do not think of higher education as an option. Family plays a large role in most Latino culture and many Latinos that could move on to higher education do not because they opt for plans that do not take them away from their home environment. Therefore, in many cases a Latino who does go past high school will go to a community college that is close to their home.
Latino Recruitment & Retention
There have been many different ideas about how to bring in Latinos to higher education and how to keep them, but Gonzalo offers the simple idea that a happy Latino will bring other Latinos. When asked about bringing in Latino faculty as a recruitment tool, he says it could help, but you should focus on other issues. A Latino faculty member may bring in Latino students, but if they are not committed to the students then the effects will not be all the great. It is more important to have good teachers regardless of race/ethnicity to connect with the students and create the best academic experience possible for all students, including Latino students.
Whites
With so much focus on Latino and other minority programs, it was important for us to also acknowledge the effects of these programs on Whites. TOSU has an office of minority affairs, but maybe that is unfair to the white student body, maybe there should be an office of majority affairs. Gonzalo suggests that these programs are fair to the White student body and that all HSS programs are available to everyone equally. These programs are actually beneficial to the White student body, as an increase in racial/ethnic diversity on campus would help them in their lives. It increases their cultural sensitivity and gets them more prepared for when they leave the university and go out into the work force. In addition, these minority-focused programs are created because minorities have had different experiences and have different needs. These programs, such as HSS or the office of minority affairs, are there to address the special needs of the minority student body. However, it must be noted, again, that these services are for the community at large. Anyone can take advantage of the work being done at these minority oriented student services.