On Tuesday, September 28, students and faculty convened in Colony Hall for the first Community Conversation of the year, which centered on Hispanic and Latinx identity. Dean of Equity and Inclusion Dr. Rachel Myers began this series last year to foster “an intentional space and time for all students, faculty, and staff members of the community to come and listen, learn, and educate about a different social identity topic each meeting in a space grounded in mutual respect.”
During Community Conversations, members of the Choate community may anonymously ask questions on a predetermined topic and have members of the identity-based community share their experience with the rest of the student body. Last year, Community Conversation topics included discussions on Pan-Asian, Black, Queer, and Jewish identities.
Topics for Community Conversations are selected by students and faculty. The topic of Hispanic and Latinx identity was heavily advocated for last year. According to Dr. Myers, the topic was selected specifically for this Community Conversation to coincide with Hispanic Heritage Month, which ends on October 15.
In the 2020-2021 school year, Community Conversations were hosted remotely on Zoom; however, in transitioning to an in-person meeting in Colony Hall, changes were made to the conversation’s format. Mr. Fillipe Camarotti, the Associate Dean of Equity and Inclusion, met with Dr. Myers and Choate’s Sound Technician and Assistant Technical Director Mr. Bozzi beforehand to properly configure the space. “We planned how we would set the microphones, who would walk around with the questions, how we would project the questions, and other details,” he said. “In the end, it was a team effort aided in part by Mr. Bozzi’s team, Ms. Sorrells, Ms. Koomson, and Ms. Barrows. Overall, from a logistical perspective, I thought it went really well.”
New students who were unfamiliar with Community Conversations enjoyed experiencing the constructive dialogue. “I thought it was great that the School held such an event at all, and I was genuinely surprised by how much the School thinks about equity. I enjoyed the fact that it wasn’t a lecture on how to treat people but a thought from the Hispanic/Latinx community,” said Andrew Kim ’25.
Nao Murata ’25 echoed Kim, noting, “I enjoyed it a lot. I’m from a background where there are basically only Asians, so I never had the chance to learn issues within other communities.
Students who identify as Hispanic or Latinx were appreciative of the care and respect that the community demonstrated throughout the conversation. “I do think that the community overall was very respectful of speaking time with correct applause,” said Sofia Munoz ’23. She also felt that the Hispanic and Latinx communities were accurately portrayed, and that everyone was able to share and articulate the different topics that they wanted to discuss.
One noteworthy discussion that arose during the conversation was on the use of the term “Latinx.” “I think it’s important for people to know both sides of the issue. Adding the ‘x’ at the end of ‘Latin’ is very bizarre in the Spanish-speaking community, and it’s very difficult to pronounce so it isn’t really used,” said Bryant Figueroa ’23. Figueroa’s club recently changed its name from Hispanic Latinx Forum to Hispanic Latiné Forum, as it retains elements of the Spanish language while still being a non-binary term. “I feel like it’s not a term people have to use, Latinx. I know people that just use Latino, which refers to everybody instead of just male,” he said. “I realize that since we’re from such a diverse background that many people may not have known but that’s how nouns in Spanish work. Latiné, Latinx, use what you’re comfortable with but understand why other people may be against it.”
Reflecting on the conversation, Mr. Camarotti said he is humbled to be part of a community where so many people are willing to speak, listen, and share. “To have a space in which people share their true, vulnerable selves with nearly 1000 others is remarkable,” he said. “I don’t take for granted, for a moment, the gift we all receive when stories, experiences, perspectives are shared in this manner.”
The next Community Conversation will take place on November 1, focusing on socio-economic class. Topics for upcoming community conversations include religious identity, multiracial identity, body image, and white privilege at Choate.
