Since its founding in 1994, Cal State Monterey Bay (CSUMB) has focused on providing students with a diverse and multicultural educational experience. In recognition of this promise, CSUMB devotes two weeks at the beginning of the academic year to honor the Latine students, faculty and administration who contribute to CSUMB’s development.
Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) Week is celebrated from Sept. 9 to Sept. 21 at CSUMB.
Campus organizations such as El Centro sponsor and hold many of the events occurring during HSI week.
HSI Week allows new students to get familiar with El Centro when event attendance is high and the student body is eager to participate. Student Coordinator Lara Arias says, “I think HSI [week] is when we get the most influx of students coming to El Centro and also going to the events and participating, especially because HSI week is during the first semester of the academic year.”
For Arias, HSI Week is one of the busiest times of the year. “There’s a lot going on. [We want to] have a range of different events so everybody can be part of it.”
El Centro hosts activities to appeal to the broad community of Latine students on campus. As of Fall 2024, 46% of CSUMB’s student body identifies as Hispanic.
Suzanne Garcia is the director of El Centro and coordinator of the Bilingual Authorization Program. As an associate professor in the College of Education, Garcia recognizes the importance for students to have a sense of belonging on their college campus.
“[It’s] an opportunity to learn about the resources that the university offers for students in order for them to be successful,” Garcia said.
Garcia also feels more Spanish is seen and heard throughout campus during all of the events.
“The students are able to engage in cultural practices that are close to their heart, or close to the community for folks from a Latine background,” Garcia shared.
Calling back to the original mission statement of CSUMB, Garcia believes the campus can reflect the insight and conversations that previous Latine faculty had for the campus.
“When this university was founded in 1994, the Latine faculty members that were here were identified as activists, and they had this vision for a linguistically inclusive campus,” Garcia said.
By the spring of 1998, CSUMB became officially eligible for HSI designation. “One of the ways they used to refer to CSUMB is ‘CSU Mi Barrio.’ Mi Barrio means my neighborhood. We really want to bring that message home and bring it back into conversations, into what people hear around campus, to show that that’s what we’re here for, [and] to really create a second home for students.”
Students looking for resources regarding the Latine community or this week’s events can visit El Centro located in Building 12 or the Otter Cross Cultural Center in the Otter Student Union. Students can also view past and upcoming events during HSI Week on MyRaft.