Latino studies program fails to make an impression on SU campus

By: Joshua Alston

Posted: 9/20/05

At a reception held Saturday for Latino alumni, professors and students, senior computer science major Zulay Olivo found herself at a loss for words.

After the 15 attendees made self-introductions, they began a discussion which dovetailed into a spirited debate about race, culture, class and the future of Syracuse University's Latin American/Latino studies program.

The exchange took place mostly in English, but occasionally in flurries of Spanish. Olivo, who is Latina, said she probably would have contributed more if she spoke Spanish.

Olivo's situation is indicative of a larger problem looming over the university's struggling Latino studies department. Despite being typically lumped together, the four-percent Hispanic enrollment at SU is comprised of students with widely diverse backgrounds, and it is because of this intra-ethnic diversity that the LAS department often has trouble communicating the benefits of its classes to seemingly indifferent Latino students.

Olivo, who serves as the education chair of La L.U.C.H.A. - Latin Undergraduates Creating History in America - has never taken a class in the Latino studies program, a decision she attributes to scheduling issues. This is a complaint she says she hears often.

"I felt like I wasn't prepared to take those higher level courses when I was a freshman, and now that I'm a senior they conflict with my schedule," Olivo said.

Jose Vilson, a 2004 computer science alumnus, has a more cynical explanation of why more Latinos do not take Latino studies courses.

"It has everything to do with our society," Vilson said. "We're focused on what will make us more money, so the program gets swept under the rug for more so-called 'professional' or trade-based majors."

Vilson said he did not know the LAS program was available until after he arrived at SU, but despite a stated belief in the importance of the program, he admits his support has its limits. "If I had known about the program, I still probably would have done comp-sci anyway," he said.

This separation between words and actions is unfortunately too familiar to Silvio Torres-Saillant, director of the LAS department. "There's a little bit of a tension between (students') desire to have this program and their willingness to actually take the classes," Saillant said of the program, which first found its roots in 1996 as a result of student pressure on the administration.

"The courses have to have enough of a demand from students for them to be considered viable," Saillant said. "But students are not always mindful of the importance of them taking these classes that have come about as a result of their advocacy."

However, the concerns that face the LAS department amount to more than merely student neglect. Another issue stems from the difficulty to satisfy the interests of many students, when their diverse backgrounds make the assembly of a curriculum with wide appeal challenging. The cultural experiences and the linguistic subtleties of students who trace their roots to Spain, Mexico, Latin America and the United States can be dramatically different.

The remedy for this issue is to bring in more faculty members, but at present, there are around 15 LAS undergraduate majors, and dedicating manpower and expertise to a program with so few devotees is easier said than done.

As a result, the program tends to lean towards Latin American studies, due to the fact that the professors are not solely dedicated to the LAS program, but they participate because their interests and experience happen to overlap.

"You tend to find at universities that there is a Latin American studies program, but not many Latino programs, because the Latin American professors are already in place," Saillant said. "To start a Latino studies program, you have to hire new professors and that requires great expense."

Due to the department's loose construction, the program lacks the structure to be more of a distinct presence on campus.

"(The professors') involvement with us doesn't express itself institutionally," Saillant said. "There's nothing we can do in terms of reward or punishment; everything that affects their well-being is made in their respective departments."

Olivo, who has more of an interest in the history of Latinos in America, suggested that this quandary is to blame for why she has not been more vigilant about working LAS courses into her schedule.

"People I've spoken to who have taken the classes enjoyed them, but there's not much of a Latino aspect," she said. "The department strives to be contemporary, but there are only so many classes that they can offer."

As it stands, the relationship between most Latino students and the Latin American/Latino studies program resembles that of a growing child and his security blanket. It may not be used very often, but it is reassuring to know that it's around.

"Students want to feel a sense of belonging on campus," Salliant said. "I think the program gives them the sense that we are here and that we have a presence on campus. Their involvement can take many forms, not just that of taking the courses."

However, this comforting role may not lead the LAS program toward self-sufficiency.

The future of the program depends on the department's ability to grow in popularity. Salliant aspires to have faculty members appointed directly to the department to help foster its growth, but the student support must come first. Vilson said that this support will only come when more Latino students discover the importance of learning their past.

"A lot of people will say, 'Well I'm Latino, and I know everything there is to know about being Latino,'" Vilson said. "People think there's only so much you need to know about your history, but that's not true."