As an incoming first year, I worried that I might not be able to find my people at Harvard.

As a Mexican American student from Houston, I was used to having food, people, and events around me that regularly celebrated my culture that I knew I would miss while I was at Harvard. However, engaging with the Latinx affinity groups on campus provided that community that I missed from home. In fact, I would say these groups have allowed me to further develop my identity as a Latinx student and to celebrate the strength of being a Latinx student at Harvard.

From welcome ceremonies to socials, to music/dance performances, to professional development opportunities, to guest speakers, (the list goes on and on), the affinity groups on campus make sure that students have the space to feel empowered and to celebrate their cultures.  

While our experiences as Latinx students are not all the same, this community gives us the opportunity allows us to celebrate all that brings us together while also highlighting the uniqueness of our experiences.

Below, I will be highlighting some of the student leaders on campus who facilitate these spaces and give you a glimpse of the different groups on campus as well as the impact that these communities have on us as students and people.

Latinas Unidas

Gloria is a junior from Chicago, IL studying Romance Languages and Literature and Government. She is currently the President of Latinas Unidas de Harvard College. 

Latinas Unidas (LU) provides a forum for community building, intellectual discussion, and the empowerment of women and femmes. We believe that our individual backgrounds, while diverse, combine to form a strong and unique culture. We foster this strength and unity through three main branches of action: Advocacy Events, Social Events, and Professional Outreach. I have been involved in Latinas Unidas since my Freshman; LU has been a community of love and acceptance at Harvard. LU holds events on a weekly basis, but my favorite event I ever attended was a forum my friend Steph and I organized during our freshman year. We invited Maria Elena Salinas a popular Latina broadcast journalist who had been named the "Voice of Hispanic America." This was a huge moment for me; I grew up watching her on TV with my parents, and to be able to interview her myself was truly a full-circle moment. She shared anecdotes of her own life and encouraged us to embrace our culture "unapologetically."

LU has taught me to be proud of my identity, culture, and background and counter conformity.

Concilio Latino

Jada is a sophomore from Boston, MA studying . She is currently the co-president of Concilio Latino. 

Jada is a sophomore from Boston, MA. She is currently the co-president of Concilio Latino.

Concilio Latino is a University-wide organization that provides a forum for dialogue, coordination, and communication for the Latino and Latin American cultural, performing, political, social, and publication groups on campus.

My favorite event hosted by Concilio Latino is definitely the Latinx Convocation for the Class of 2026.  Not only was this an opportunity to meet new faces on Harvard’s campus, but I also got to deliver a speech about Afro-Latinidad, which is often overlooked by our community. I am beyond proud of the work my team and I put into Convocation. I am looking forward to many more Concilio events in the future.

I am in constant admiration of how accepting our people are of individuals from all over Latin America, including the non-Spanish-speaking regions. As a Haitian and Cuban American, I’ve felt nothing but open arms from the people I met in our community. Getting to call these people my family by far is my favorite thing about the Latinx community at Harvard.

Fuerza Latina

Julia is a junior from Los Angeles, California studying Neuroscience and Global Health and Health Policy. She is the current president of Fuerza Latina. 

When I first learned of my acceptance to Harvard, I felt an immediate wave of imposter syndrome. What if no one shares a similar background to me? What if I have to hide my identity in order to belong? These were the questions I asked myself before coming to college. Now, I begin my junior year as president of the largest pan-Latine organization on campus, Fuerza Latina. Harvard's Latine community brings together students from all around the world. Friendships are made over conversations about shared experiences, music, and good food. One of my favorite parts about the Latine community at Harvard is that we are not a monolith. We are a diverse group of students who work together to create active spaces of belonging. We truly challenge assumptions about what being Latine means while uplifting each other to greater heights. 

One of my favorite events which exemplifies this message of community and representation was our first annual Ritmo Latino Celebration. This idea of a Latine Heritage Month celebration which brings together students from many different countries was spearheaded by Fuerza Latina's Social Chair Alejandra Beltrán. The inspiration came from a similar event that is held in her hometown of Miami, Florida every year. Ritmo Latino highlighted the unique talents and cultures of many student dancers, speakers, musicians, and directors. We also had esteemed EMR professor Dr. Américo Mendoza Mori come and speak about the importance of community and representation in spaces of higher learning.