Albertus Celebra Nuestra Herencia y Cultura: Albertus Celebrates Latinx Heritage and Culture

Albertus Magnus College se viste de orgullo and is honored to join the national celebration of Latinx Heritage Month. Each year, the United States takes time to acknowledge the valuable contributions made by the Latinx community in academia, politics, arts, and American culture. The national celebration takes place from September 15 to October 15. 

During our annual celebration, Albertus Magnus College will showcase the bright and beautiful cultural traditions of our Latinx community, engage in conversation with regional leaders and embrace our valiant spirit. 

Event Spotlight

Meet the panelists for the Hispanic Entrepreneurial Spirit

Ramón Peralta

Ramon Peralta is the Founder and Creative Director of Peralta Design, an innovative creative agency specializing in branding, web development, and digital marketing strategies. Holding a Bachelor of Fine Arts and an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Bridgeport, Ramon brings a unique blend of artistic vision and business acumen to his work. His professional journey includes a significant role on the original startup team of Priceline.com, where he honed his skills in design and marketing.

As a prominent community leader, Ramon serves as Chief Creative Advisor for Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and actively mentors underprivileged youth. His thought leadership extends to public speaking and authorship, with a TEDx talk titled "How To Succeed By Being Yourself" and the book "Launch Your Brand." His expertise has been featured in major media outlets, including NPR and Forbes, where he explores the intersection of creativity and technology. Ramon's multifaceted career exemplifies the power of integrating creative excellence, entrepreneurial spirit, and community involvement. Through Peralta Design and his various professional and philanthropic endeavors, he continues to inspire and create meaningful impact.

Lizbeth Marquez

Flores is the founder and CEO of Locks of Liz Haircare LLC, a Puerto Rican entrepreneur dedicated to redefining natural hair care through plant-based innovation. Inspired by her personal struggles with curly hair and her desire to instill confidence in her daughter, Lizbeth combined her background in Biology and Oncology with her entrepreneurial spirit to create clean, effective products for all curl types. Today, her patented formulas and growing product line empower individuals to embrace their natural beauty while challenging industry norms. With resilience, vision, and a deep commitment to representation, Lizbeth continues to grow Locks of Liz Haircare into a brand that celebrates culture, confidence, and community.

Events

Latinx Student Highlights

Ana Lucia Gutierrez Gomez

Ana Lucia Gutierrez Gomez, an international student from Sonora, Mexico, is honing her amazing abilities and doing her best to make the world a better place at Albertus Magnus College... 

Read full article >

Lasting Latinx Legacy: Meet Kervin Franco '21

Kervin Franco is now a staff member at Albertus Magnus College in the Registrar’s Office, but his journey began in his undergraduate years after moving to the United States from Colombia... 

Read full article >

Dianny Ortiz

Meet Dianny Ortiz, who graduated from Albertus Magnus College with a Master of Science in Instructional Design and Learning Technology. As a working mom, Dianny balanced full-time work, parenting, and her studies... 

Read full article >

Fun Latinx Facts

Latinx in Business:  One of every four small businesses are run by a Latinx entrepreneur. 

Latinas are the fastest-growing entrepreneurial sector in the country growing six-time above the national rate. Latinx businesses are employed in our communities and contributing to our local economic impact.  (source USHCC: USHCC.com) 

Hablemos de Dinero: US Latinx GDP is the fastest growing in the world.  In 2019 Latinx in the US contributed $2.3 trillion to the national economy and wild more than $1.3 Trillion in buying power.  If the US Latinx community were a country, it would be the 8th largest economy in the world. (source https://www.latinodonorcollaborative.org/)

Jovenes y Brillantes:  Latinos are a young demographic. It is estimated that 1 million Latinx turn 18 each year and 60% of Latinx are 35 and younger. It is expected that Latinx will represent 75% of the workforce by 2025 and that by 2060 Latinx will be 30% of the U.S. Population.  (Source unidosus.org and latitude.net)

College Bound: Latinos pursuing higher education increased from 2.9 Million in 2010 to to 3.6 Million in 2019. According to UnidosUS first generation Latino college students are 70%   (Source Unidosus.org and Pewresearch.org - https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/09/09/key-facts-about-u-s-latinos-for-national-hispanic-heritage-month/)

Diverse:  24% of Latinx in the US self-identify as Afro-Latino, celebrating the diversity of and African Heritage in our Latino culture. (Source: Unidosus.org https://www.unidosus.org/facts/statistics-about-latinos-in-the-us-unidosus/

What is in a Word:

Latinx:  a gender-neutral term referring to someone living in the United States who was born in or has ancestors from Latin America; it is an alternative to the masculine (Latino) and feminine (Latina) forms. The word came into usage in the early 21st century as more people rejected binary categorization of gender and sought greater inclusivity. In addition, Latinx was seen as a challenge to the alleged patriarchy in a number of languages. Spanish is notably a gender-based language that defaults to the masculine form; for instance, a group of people with only one male member are called Latinos. The term Latinx was not without its critics, however. Some claim it is unnecessary, a product of excessive political correctness. Within the Hispanic community, the Anglicized word was criticized for not following the rules of the Spanish pronunciation and suggesting “linguistic imperialism.” This may partly explain why few Hispanics identify as Latinx. In a 2019 survey only about 3 percent self-described as Latinx. In addition, that same study found that within the broader population, the term’s popularity largely resided with younger individuals.

Source: Britanica (https://www.britannica.com/topic/Latinx)

Hispanic: a person from or with ancestry from a Spanish-speaking territory or country in the western hemisphere. First recognized in the mid to late 1960’s, the term Hispanic was used to collect information about populations from Spanish speaking countries.  In 1976, the U.S. Congress passed a law for information about U.S. residents from Spanish-speaking countries to be officially recorded. Since then, Hispanic appears as an “ethnicity” in various forms for government, education and employment purposes.

(Source https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/a40616318/hispanic-heritage-month-facts/)

Club/Organization Information

LatinX Club

The purpose of this organization is to believe in people and their future. We support students by empowering them as transformers of lives. Innovation, entrepreneurship, community, impact, and leadership is our mission and we focus on the Latino community. This Student group is committed to creating a model of change for vulnerable groups of people.