Latino clubs help students chart a course

The groups, which also support the culture, are becoming fixtures at several north metro schools.

By Lora Pabst, Star Tribune

Last update: October 2, 2007 - 10:06 AM

The students shouted back and forth across the room about why they would make the best president of the school club, but their reasons were a little out of the ordinary.

"I'll take everyone to Mexico," yelled one student. "Well, probably not Mexico, but New Mexico at least."

At Brooklyn Center High School's four-year-old Latino Club, the students meet once a week to plan community and school events, hear speakers from the Latino community and just hang out. Clubs for Latino students are becoming fixtures at several north metro schools, but their goals and activities vary based on the issues the students deem important.

At Brooklyn Center and Park Center Senior High School, teachers hoped the club would help students feel connected to the school and ultimately raise grades. The students -- many of whom are immigrants -- have used the club to talk about and volunteer on issues like immigration and access to higher education.

Most of the 34 Latino students at Maple Grove Senior High School come to their group to learn about their heritage and find ways to get involved at the school of almost 2,000 students.

"The Latino club was a way to create a space where kids could come together with other kids like them and carve out a space in the school," said Laura Wilson, a community organizer with Family and Children's Service who helps organize the clubs at Brooklyn Center and Park Center. Feeling isolated from the rest of the school is typical for many students in the groups -- whether they are new immigrants, adoptees or just one of few Latino students in the school -- said the teachers and school officials involved in the groups.

"When I came to Minnesota, I didn't like it because there's hardly any Latino people," said Freddy Velazquez, a 10th grader at Brooklyn Center High School.

Brooklyn Center Principal Brian Bass said he wants the students to feel like they can maintain their cultural heritage but also be a part of the school community.

"I think there are a significant number of first generation families to America and their children are having this experience in school that bridges their homeland culture to popular mainstream culture," Bass said.

Once the students began to gather and plan events where they could showcase their heritage to the rest of the school, like planning activities for Dia de los Muertos and the Christmas celebration La Posada, they began to feel more comfortable as a group.

This year, one of the members of the Maple Grove club became the first Latino member of the student government at the high school.

"He was able to come out of his shell in Latino group," said Rosalind Bakion, who coordinates cultural groups at Maple Grove.

The teachers and school officials who work with the clubs try to find opportunities for the students to explore life beyond high school. Students go on college visits and hear from Latino university professors, poets and social activists.

"We bring in speakers to show the students there are Latino adults out there that have been successful and have been able to find their niche here in Minnesota," said Marjie Hay, one of the advisers for the Brooklyn Center club.

While showing students options for higher education, teachers ran into a problem for some of the immigrant students who weren't eligible for in-state tuition at state colleges because they didn't have immigration documents.

"The double-edged sword is when you educate them and you push them to go to college and then you're like 'Oh, you're not a resident, so really you're stuck,' " Hay said. "It's hard to tell students to do their best in school when they're thinking their education is going to stop when they're 18."

So some students began to get involved with advocating for a state law, called the Dream Act, that would allow immigrant students to pay in-state tuition regardless of their immigration status. They visited the state Capitol to meet with legislators and attended rallies which was a first-time experience for many of the students.

"We want them to be academically successful as well as celebrate who they are," Hay said.

Lora Pabst • 612-673-4628

Lora Pabst • lpabst@startribune.com

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