LatiNaz is a Latinx Affinity Group that celebrates Latinx culture and gives Latinx students at Nazareth the opportunity to connect with one another. Moderated by English teacher Amelia García since 2018, the club has served as a safe space for students to express themselves.
The club aims to live out Naz’s mission of inclusivity and promoting human dignity. García works with the members of the club to foster a community of support and understanding through open conversation and empowering activities. At monthly meetings, students are encouraged to share their concerns, experiences, and feelings.
Senior member, Sofia Flores said, “LatiNaz allows us each to express our individual experiences while also providing us a space for dialogue and reflection on what it means to be Latino.”
Senior Josue Trejo recounted his time as a member of the group and said that it felt more like a community than just a club. “Being a member of LatiNaz has allowed me to express my culture with friends of similar background. LatiNaz provided us with a welcoming environment in which we felt seen, heard, and represented,” he said.
Flores agrees, “LatiNaz is a community of students who share in my cultural identity and who make me feel seen and included. It provides me with the opportunity to share my voice and express my love for my culture in my school community.”
García stresses the importance of school and community involvement as part of the club’s mission. One event that was a huge moment of pride for García was the Our Lady of Guadalupe Mass not only because students really took the initiative to plan it, but also because it fostered inclusion and spiritual growth with peers.
The students agreed. “As a Mexican Catholic, I was excited to attend and participate in the mass,” said Trejo. “Our Lady of Guadalupe is such an important religious and cultural figure in my community and it was amazing to be able to honor her at Nazareth Academy.”
“Being a part of the team that worked with the administration to make that celebration happen was so rewarding,” added Flores. “It brought me so much joy to see everyone come together to celebrate a day that is so important in our culture.”
The community building did not end with mass. Trejo recalls how special the gathering was following the mass. “It felt great to see members of LatiNaz, their families, and members of the Naz administration all getting together to celebrate with a dinner as if we were one family,” he said.
Humbly, García, credits the students for making the club what it is. “I couldn’t give the students enough credit for their commitment to each other and the school community. The fun events held by the club were as successful as they were thanks to the students’ work and dedication to LatiNaz’s mission,” she said.
While the students are at the heart of the club, LatiNaz couldn’t exist without García’s leadership and the support of the administration. Trejo acknowledges, “I am extremely grateful for Ms. García, Ms. Kokontis, and the Nazareth Academy administration for facilitating LatiNaz.”
