Bienvenidos, bem-vindo and welcome to the News’ Latine Heritage special issue! In honor of Latine Heritage Month, which comes to a close on Oct. 15, we’ve put together a collection of stories spotlighting Yale’s Latine community.

Amid the chaos of the first post-affirmative action application cycle, we saw an increase in the number of Latine or Hispanic students to a record-high 19 percent of the class of 2028. These students are faced with a decades-old question: how can we make sense of our Latinidad at an institution that, for centuries, was bent on keeping us out? 

The challenge of finding our footing as Latine Yalies is an ongoing one. But over the past month, students focused on an equally important endeavor: celebrating the talents and accomplishments of our community. 

Afro-Brazilian philosopher Djamila Ribeiro and journalist Alana Casanova-Burgess, who has Dominican and Puerto Rican roots, shared insights with students at campus events. La Casa Cultural and the Yale University Art Gallery guided visitors through a collection of Mexican photography. 

Efforts to uplift Latine voices aren’t limited to the ivory tower, however. From a joint boycott by Mecha de Yale and Unidad Latina en Acción, to a collaborative event between Yale Lawtinas and Mexican indigenous activist — and New Havener — Denisse Cruz-Contreras, students are set on bridging the gap between themselves and New Haven’s Latine community.

We’re so grateful for our hardworking staff reporters and writers who contributed to this spissue. But most of all, thank you to our readers for helping us amplify Latine voices at Yale. 

Con todo nuestro cariño,

Maia Nehme ’27 and Tristan Hernandez ’26, special issue co-editors