CSULB Celebrates Latine Heritage Month
Uplifting Our Latine Community at The Beach
California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) is proud to recognize Latine Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15. This heritage month celebration engages the entire campus as we honor the rich cultural diversity of The Beach and commemorate the many contributions of the Latine community.
Throughout the month, CSULB will offer an array of events, resources, workshops, and opportunities complemented by cultural food, music, and fun. We invite our campus community to learn more about our Latine students, staff, and faculty as we honor the traditions, histories, and voices of the community.
The Division of Academic Affairs is committed to inclusive excellence and the success of all diverse students, staff, and faculty. As such, we support academic programs, curriculum, and professional development initiatives that promote the holistic success of our students.
We are especially committed to our Latine students, who encompass nearly half of our total student population at The Beach. To support the largest population of our student body, CSULB offers a myriad of opportunities that aim to promote access to education, advance social mobility, and encourage involvement and participation. CSULB strives to develop programs and resources that encourage the identity, educational, and professional development of our Latine students, staff, and faculty across The Beach.
SUCCESSFUL LATINE PROGRAMS
HSI-STEM
The HSI STEM Sí Puedo project works in collaboration with the College of Engineering and the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. This effort serves to close the achievement gap in STEM baccalaureate degree attainment for Latine students and students who are low-income. HSI STEM offers mentorship, drop-in tutoring, and EXCEL Learning Community to ensure our Latine Students are supported throughout their time at CSULB and can successfully obtain their STEM degrees.
The Center for Latino Community Health, Evaluation, and Leadership Training
Established in 2005, the CSULB Center for Latino Community Health, Evaluation, and Leadership Training strives to support and create diverse community health initiatives that increase access to culturally and linguistically relevant health education, prevention, screening, and treatment. The center’s mission is to improve, promote, and advocate for the health and well-being of diverse Latino/Hispanic communities. These efforts train undergraduate and graduate students to work closely with leading multi-disciplinary academics to positively create culturally relevant strategies that improve the health access of Latinos in the United States and promoting positive change in Latino health status and access.
LATINE STUDENT SUPPORT
The Latine Resource Center
Housed under the Office of Belonging & Inclusion (OBI), students can visit the Latine Resource Center. One of six of the cultural resource centers on CSULB’s campus, the Latine Resource Center offers a space for Latine students to connect to their peers and other Latine faculty and staff. The center also offers a supply of study materials and resources such as computers, art supplies, scantrons and “green books” to support their students’ studies.
Additionally, the center also hosts large campus events such as the Latine Cultural Welcomes and Cultural Graduation Ceremonies to honor the achievements of its students. The resource center aims to be the central hub for students in the Latine community to find a robust system of support to encourage their success both inside and outside of the classroom.
Latinx Faculty & Staff Association (LFSA)
The Latinx Faculty & Staff Association (LFSA) creates a space of belonging and community for Latinx faculty, staff, and students at CSULB. Through its collective advocacy, LFSA commits to affirming our distinct and shared identities, heritages, and cultures. LFSA advocates for and with the Latinx community to develop a collective consciousness and challenge systemic inequities. They aim to uphold educational equity through the recruitment, retention, and advancement of the Latinx faculty, staff, and students at CSULB.
OUR NATIONAL RECOGNITION
Seal of Excelencia
Last year, Cal State Long Beach earned the prestigious 2023 Seal of Excelencia, joining a distinctive group of colleges and universities who have been recognized for its their commitment to Latinx student success. Led by El Concilio for Latinx Success at The Beach, a collective of faculty, staff, and students who are committed to promoting Latinx success on campus were instrumental in the data collection and application process. El Concilio's mission is to build capacity and promote inclusive servingness across initiatives and efforts towards Latinx student, faculty, and staff success across campus.
Only 30 schools nationwide have been awarded the honor from Excelencia in Education, the leading authority in efforts related to Latinx success.
The Seal of Excelencia reinforces CSULB’s national profile as one of the top universities for Latinx students as well as a Fulbright Hispanic Serving Institution Leader by the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
HSI
CSULB also is a federally designated Minority-Serving Institution and Hispanic-Serving Institution. The total student enrollment in Fall 2023 was 39,530 of which 19,129 (48.4%) are Latine.
