Celebrating Hispanic Heritage at Yale SOM

This month, Yale joins the U.S. celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month. This celebration, which runs from September 15 to October 15, recognizes the achievements and contributions of Hispanic Americans who have inspired others to achieve success. This month also honors the Independence Days of several Latin American countries. The national theme for this year’s celebration is focused on unity: “Unidos: Inclusivity for a Stronger Nation.” Yale SOM is proud to celebrate and elevate Hispanic and Latino voices, this month and throughout the year, within our community and beyond.

The Belonging at Yale initiative is the central home of the myriad of ways that Yale celebrates Latinx and Hispanic heritage. The university kicked off its celebration on September 15 with an event sponsored by Yale’s Latinx cultural center, known as La Casa. This event brought together several groups on campus for a screening of a film documentary on a Cuban singer and Q&A with its director.

SOM’s Office of Inclusion and Diversity (OID) partnered with many groups for our school-wide celebration. On campus, the digital walls within Evans Hall display prominent figures in the Hispanic movement, including local leaders recognized for their contributions to New Haven and the state of Connecticut, where Yale proudly resides. Members of the SOM community are also participating in community book-swap events, sharing stories and perspectives from their favorite Latino and Hispanic authors. Charley’s Place, SOM’s dining hall, will be hosting a food takeover featuring traditional Hispanic cuisine. Also this month, our student affinity and DEI groups are organizing two Affinity Weeks in order to engage all students with a variety of educational, social, and cultural opportunities.

To further a sense of belonging for domestic Latine students, an exciting new student organization has recently formed, The American Latine Business Association (ALBA) . This group’s mission is to create an intentional community and affinity space for American Latine students at Yale SOM and those interested in U.S. Latine cultures and experiences. ALBA’s programming centers on building community, experiencing affinity, celebrating U.S. Latine cultures, and promoting holistic success for its members.

”U.S. Latines are underrepresented in management education, and in general only 4% of Latinas in the U.S. have received master's degrees,” says Sherlyn Galarza ’23, one of the group’s leaders. “I am part of ALBA because we deserve a space to connect, grow, and fuel ourselves.”

Fabiola Rodriguez ’23, ALBA leader, says that she is working to create a sense of connectedness among U.S. Latinos at the school. “I want to build community, prioritize DEI Initiatives, and connect U.S. Latinos to the career resources that were created specifically for them.”

“The organization can also help bring together Latine SOMers from different backgrounds, adds ALBA leader Francisco Hernandez ’23. “I want to increase the interactions between U.S. Latinos at SOM. Different socioeconomic perspectives are important.”

ALBA has been operating in close partnership with our Association of Hispanic & Latin American Students (AHLAS) in their shared mission of creating inclusive communities at Yale SOM.

Happy Hispanic Heritage Month!
The Office of Inclusion and Diversity