This post was written by Carlos Turcios ‘15, ‘17 M.A. Coordinator with Initiatives for Identity, Inclusion and Belonging (I3B). *Please note that some references are accessed through the AOK Library Databases and will ask you to be logged into your UMBC account.*
National Hispanic Heritage Month (HHM) has been recognized by the federal government and celebrated across the United States since 1968. Representing approximately 18.5% of the U.S. population, there are an estimated 61 million people who have ancestries connected to Latin American countries who reside in the United States (U.S. Census Bureau, 2020), including myself and a few folks on our I3B professional and student staff. This represents a significant increase from the 2000 Census, which registered the Hispanic population at 35.3 million or 13% of the total U.S. population. Many labels are used for our community with the most common umbrella terms being “Hispanic” and “Latina/e/o/x.” Hispanic/Latine/x Americans have been influential in every part of U.S. history, from day laborers, politics to the arts to businesses and innovation to the military. The U.S. Hispanic/Latine/x community have had a profound and positive influence on our country through their strong commitment to family, hard work, and service. They have enhanced and shaped our national character with centuries-old traditions that reflect the multiethnic and multicultural customs of their community.
So why does HHM start in the middle of September and end in Mid-October?
HHM is celebrated annually from September 15th through October 15th to honor the history, culture, and contributions of Americans whose ancestry can be traced to over 20 countries and 14 dependent territories in Latin America, including Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. The start of this cultural month, September 15th, is significant, as the majority of Latin American countries celebrate their independence from Spain throughout the second half of September through early October (i.e. Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua).Mexico, Chile, and Belize also celebrate their independence days during this period and Columbus Day (Día de la Raza) is October 12 (Rachum, 2004*).
So should I use Hispanic? Latina/o? Spanish? What’s the difference and why does it matter?
The term Hispanic, refers to the racially and ethnically group of folkswho are from Hispanophone (i.e. Spanish speaking) countries that were historically colonized by Spain. This term is inclusive to those who are also from Spanish origin. The term Latina/o however excludes Spain, but includes non-Spanish speaking Latin American countries such as Belize, Brazil, Guyana, and Haiti. Please note that even if folks may have ethnic roots from Latin America, they may identify as both, either, or neither Hispanic and/or Latina/o. We encourage you to check out how the term Hispanic has been reclaimed and its impacts on the Brown Power Movement, as well as our upcoming [Free]dom Friday (details below). What our community chooses to identify as is connected to the complex history of how the terms Hispanic and Latina/o came to be. Those who reject both Hispanic or Latina/o may identify with their national origin instead (i.e. Chicana/o/x, Salvadoran, Chilean, Domincan). Others may identify more closely to their racial identity (i.e. Indigenous, Afro-Latinx).
Spanish on the other hand, only applies to those who are Spaniard or have a direct lineage to Spain. If those do not apply, PLEASE do not use the word “Spanish” to identify Hispanic/Latina/e/o/x folks. Also note that although Hispanic and Latine/x have been racialized in the U.S., they are ethnic, NOT racial identities.
Latinx? Where does this term fit in? The debate on gender and gender inclusivity.
Originating in the mid-2000’s, the term Latinx (pronounced La-tee-nex) came out of the limitations of the term Latino. As a binary gendered language, Spanish only has a masculine and feminine version for all nouns. Every noun whether it being an inanimate object, an animal, or person all have a “gender” regardless of the individual’s sex. However, this comes into conflict for those who do not identify within the gender binary.
Additional critiques of the word “Latino” exist, including the patriarchal nature of the language. Specifically, the default plural in Spanish is masculine, regardless of the gender distribution of the group. For example, if you referred to our entire I3B professional and student team of seven folks, the plural would still default to masculine even though I am the only member who identifies as a man. Latinx serves as a way to deprioritize masculinity.
So, what about Latine?
As gender-inclusivity becomes increasingly global, variations of gender inclusive identifiers (i.e. Latine pronounced La-tee-neh) have popped up in Spanish speaking countries. Unlike “x,” “e” can be used to fit the grammatical structure of Spanish much more easily that facilitates its use for Hispanophones. There is no right or wrong between Latinx and Latine, just know that regional variants exist and are a product of their creators and who identify within the community.
Which term should I use?
From an inclusive standpoint, the terms “Hispanic” and “Latin(e/x)” would be best for general communication when referring to a large group. They are both umbrella terms that are gender inclusive. However, this could look different when you are addressing individuals. Understand that Pan-ethnic labels are clunky and some people do not “fit in” perfectly (Pew Research Center, 2020). What a person chooses to label themselves can be affected by their race, ethnicity, birth place, dominant language or generational group. These factors make it messy but I encourage you to learn about our vastly diverse community. Finally, we invite you to share this with your friends, colleagues, professors, and networks across campus. When in doubt, just ask!
I3B Hispanic/Latine/x Centered Events
Below is a list of our Fall 2020 events that are either Hispanic/Latine/x centered or will have some focus on the Hispanic/Latine/x community. Questions? Contact i3b@umbc.edu.
[Free]dom Fridays: The Brown Power Movement and Liberation
The Brown Power Movement and the Continued Struggle for Immigrant Rights
Friday, September 18, 2020 | 2:30 - 4:00 p.m. | Online via Blackboard Collaborate
myUMBC Event Post: Link | BlackBoard Collaborate Session: Link
PAWTalks: Janel Martinez: “Ain't I Latina?”Deconstructing Anti-Blackness in the Latine/x Community
Wednesday, October 14, 2020 | 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. | Online via Blackboard Collaborate
myUMBC Event Post: Link | BlackBoard Collaborate Session: Link
Retriever Immigrants United 2.0 Welcome**
A check-in conversation on your needs!
Thursday, October 15, 2020 | 12:00 -1:15 p.m. | Online via Blackboard Collaborate
myUMBC Event Post: Link | BlackBoard Collaborate Session: Link
Pawsitive Bodies & Minds: COVID-19's Assault on Black & Brown Bodies
A Presentation on Race and COVID-19
Tuesday, December 1, 2020 | 4:00 - 5:30 p.m. | Online via Blackboard Collaborate
myUMBC Event Post: Link | BlackBoard Collaborate Session: Link
Retriever Immigrants United: Heritage, Family, and Culture**
A discussion on our culture and most meaningful relationships
Tuesday, December, 15, 2020 | 12:00 - 1:15 p.m. | Online via Blackboard Collaborate
myUMBC Event Post: Link | BlackBoard Collaborate Session: Link
Latine/x-Centered Orgs
We encourage community members to follow these groups on myUMBC or Social Media!
Undergraduate Student Orgs
Hispanic Latinx Student Union (HLSU) | IG: @umbc_hlsu
Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc. (LTA) | IG: @lta_betakappa
Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science at UMBC (SACNAS) | IG: @umbcsacnas
Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) | IG: @shpeumbc
Alumni
Faculty
Latino/Hispanic Faculty Association (LHFA)
Staff/Graduate Students
*No Hispanic/Latine/x specific organizations currently active for staff or graduate students*
Alumna Casey Haines, former URA Scholar and researcher in the Omland Lab, publishes as first author in the journal, Science Direct. Her article, "The Role of Diversity in Science: A Case Study of Women Advancing Female Birdsong Research", demonstrates the importance of diversity in faculty and student research.
"Researchers of different genders and backgrounds contribute greatly to the diversity of questions and approaches in science. Historically birdsong was studied primarily as a male trait. However, as researchers in the field of animal behaviour have become more diverse, women have made substantial contributions to the birdsong literature, including through the study of female birdsong. We investigated the influence of gender on research topic and asked: are research articles on female birdsong disproportionately authored by women?"
Read her paper here:
Link to the UMBC New story:
Casey's undergraduate research:
Response of Eastern Bluebirds (Salias salias) to Playbacks of Male and Female Vocalizations
Biological Sciences
Dr. Kevin Omland
Response Of Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia Sialis) To Playbacks Of Male And Female Vocalizations
Casey Haines
Kevin Omland, Biological Sciences
Until recently, function and presence of female bird song has been underrepresented in research. We know, based on research from our lab, that female song in Eastern Bluebirds functions in mate communication yet is statistically indistinguishable from male song. Our lab strives to fill in the gaps of our understanding of female song. We tested if male and female Eastern Bluebirds are able to distinguish between male and female vocalizations. We created a set of playback presentations to test bluebird song sex-discrimination in the field. We recorded response behaviors as well as distances of each focal individual from the playback speaker, nest box, and mate using pairs of Eastern Bluebirds from a field site in Howard County, MD. While studies on playback recordings of male Eastern Bluebirds have been conducted, this is the first time behavioral responses will be used to determine if Eastern Bluebirds can discern sex based on song alone. Studying the distinctiveness of female song will further our understanding of the evolution of complex communication by demonstrating the ability of female song to convey unique information.
Earlier this summer, in response to national events, CWIT issued a Response to Racial Violence, which called on all of us to take action, educate ourselves, and take care of one another as we participate in the struggle for greater racial equity in our country. We also held our first CWIT Student Discussions of Race, which started with a Mosaic Center [Free]dom Friday event on July 31, and a follow-up CWIT-only debrief on August 6.
We are continuing that discussion by inviting you to participate in the Mosaic Center’s next [Free]dom Friday on September 18, 2:30-4pm, and another CWIT-only debrief on September 24, 2:30-4pm. We strongly encourage you to attend both parts.
The goal of this series of discussions is to provide all of you with an opportunity to:
Develop skills in talking about race and racial justice
Share what you are doing and learning about racial justice
Support each other in your understanding and action around racial justice
Support each other as fellow CWIT community members, and strengthen the CWIT community as a whole
Please mark your calendars (this is already on the CWIT shared Google calendars) and RSVP to the Mosaic Center here. We want all CWIT community members to attend!
]]>Name: Samantha Etta
Internship, Co-op or Research Site: T. Rowe Price*
Position Title: Investment Accountant (hired full-time following a successful internship!)
Major(s)/Minor(s):Financial Economics
Current Class Level:Senior
Work Term:Summer 2020
*Don’t miss UMBC Connects: T. Rowe Price, a virtual recruitment event on Wednesday, September 16, with our Featured Employer of the Week T. Rowe Price to learn how you could land an amazing, career-relevant opportunity like Samantha’s!
Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities.
My internship this summer was virtual due to the ongoing pandemic so this was very new to both the firm and I. Nonetheless I had an amazing experience which resulted in a full time offer with the firm. My day to day responsibilities involved analyzing and reviewing daily fee reports for some of our domestic funds, processing accrual payments ,and performing daily accruals for income related to security lending on certain TRP products.
Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application?
I heard about this position when I stumbled into a career center event. T Rowe Price was having a session that day and I just came into the room for the free food lol. I got so intrigued when I heard the different speakers that I decided to stay back and talk to some of them, I was directed to apply for an internship with the firm through UMBCworks. I waited a year for the next summer and once I sent my application in I got an email about 2 weeks later then had an interview scheduled.
What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization?
The team I worked with was one of the main reasons I accepted my full time offer with the firm. T.Rowe Price is a wonderful organization and though my experience was virtual I still felt a strong spirit of community and excellence.
How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?
Every single day I believe I make an impact through my work . T. Rowe is very intentional about providing excellent services to its clients and community. Through my work I am able to be a part of these remarkable services not only at a corporate level but communal as well. Be it participating in virtual volunteer events for children hospitals or being a part and gaining insights from the firm's women's leadership initiative, every day I know an impact is made.
What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience?
Don’t stop trying. It sounds cliche but I applied for countless internship opportunities before I landed one with T.Rowe Price. A “no” from someone or some firm only opens the door for some else to give you a proper “yes”.
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Want to be the next Intern of the Week? Make sure to fill out this form and stay tuned. New interns are announced every Monday!