Our demands, our voice
The Latinx community at Duke has a rich history spanning decades. Yet, Latinx students have time and time again reported feelings of otherness or invisibility during their time at Duke. The creation of many Latinx organizations on campus was to combat these feelings and provide a safe space for the Latinx community. However, according to the Campus Climate Survey, Latinx students and staff still face microaggressions and feel uncomfortable on campus. The driving forces behind these sentiments lie much deeper within the structure of the university as a whole. As a result, in 1997, 2003, 2005 and 2016, students have published demands to hold administration accountable. The milestones and history of the Latinx community can be seen in the new Perkins exhibit Our History, Our Voice: Latinx at Duke. Although there have been great wins for the community, such as the creation of La Casa, these were rarely what the students demanded and have proven insufficient.