There is a new student organization on campus called the Latinx Student Union. Before this organization there was the LXSA, also known as the Latinx Student Association.
During the pandemic, there was a big hit to its membership, and because of this the LXSA ended up dying out. When Maria Cristal Guzmán came to the University of Detroit Mercy she decided to rebrand the LXSA, where she renamed it the Latinx Student Union (LSU).
“Where I grew up there was not much diversity, and not a lot of students of color,” said Guzmán, the president of the LSU. “The only students that had an ethnic background were either German or Dutch. I was very disappointed when I came onto campus, and found out that LXSA was not active on campus. I decided that since I came to Detroit Mercy and wanted that sense of community, I would just form it myself.”
With the help of Guzmán’s executive board members, Elizabeth Barba-Villa, vice president, and Mariana Gonzalez, secretary, they completely rebranded the Latinx Student Union into a thriving student organization.
There are many different goals that the LSU plans on accomplishing for all of its members, and its future members by creating a safe space for not just the students involved, but for every student on campus and the community.
“I am creating opportunities and a chance for everyone to thrive as much as they can,” Guzmán said. “Our community was, and still is a marginalized community. We are now doing our best to uplift each other professionally and create resources.”
Recently, the LSU had an Equailaw campaign where they collaborated with Detroit Mercy Law. This event was all about diversifying the legal field. When they came to talk to the LSU, they spoke about having more representation for Latinx in all professional fields.
By having this event it was showing students that the LSU is not just about creating a safe space but also about wanting to uplift students within their professional resources as well.
This organization gives students a place where they can feel comfortable, having people looking out for their best interests.
“We lack representation in many different areas, and it is a big problem that we are trying to combat,” Guzmán said. “We like to call ourselves a friend group that likes to hang out because it is just like a family. I believe that having that community is so strong.”
There are many different reasons each student joined, or will join this organization. Each student that is involved with the Latinx Student Union is a part of it for a certain reason, and they each have their own favorite part about the student organization
