Latinx & Hispanic Community

La Casa Latino Americana was formed by student Leonardo Valderrama of Peru and Dr. Sanford Winston of NC State's sociology department. The club aimed to "form friendly relations among the Americas" and was open to any interested Raleigh residents.

The Latin American club formed and held the Latin International Night during the fall semester for several years. In 1964-1965, the club won the Erdahl-Cloyd Union "Best Club Award."

The Latin American Club held a traditional "Latin Carnival" in the tradition of costume parties in Spanish-speaking countries in spring.

Dr. Gonzalez, who spoke seven languages, became head of the Department of Modern Languages. Originally from Spain, Gonzalez had previously been associate head of Hispanic languages and literature at the University of Pittsburgh.

Enrollment was 22,632 students in the fall of 1983, and 148 students (0.7%) identified as Hispanic.

George Tarantini of Argentina coached men's soccer and retired in November of 2010 as the winningest soccer coach in school history. He earned ACC "Coach of the Year" honors in 1992 and 1994 and was the NCAA "Regional Coach of the Year" in 1994. He directed the Wolfpack to nine NCAA Tournament appearances.

Soccer player Tab Ramos of Uruguay earned his third All-American honor in 1987. He was also named MVP of the 1987 soccer team. Ramos was later a three-time member of the US World Cup Team, and he was the US Soccer Federation "Athlete of the Year" in 1990. He played professionally for the NY/NJ Metro Stars from 1996 to 2002. He was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2005 and the NC State Hall of Fame in 2012.

Fernando Magallanes became the first Latinx faculty member in landscape architecture.

Enrollment of African American students passed 2,000, Latinx students passed 200, and international students passed 1,000.

A chapter of the SHPE national organization was established at NC State.

Technician columnist Marcela Musgrove published a column describing her experience as a Latina at NC State University.

The Higher Education Research Institute survey found that 1% of NC State faculty identified as Latinx. The survey asked faculty about their experiences of discrimination on campus. Recommendations drawn from the survey included more targeted faculty and student recruitment of underrepresented groups.

NC State Humanities Extension established HOLA as a program to "teach Spanish and Hispanic culture" to extension field faculty who work in areas of North Carolina with large Latinx populations.

Latinx student enrollment reached 508 students with a total enrollment of 28,619 students for the 2000-2001 academic year.

Pablo Mastroeni of Argentina was selected to compete for the U.S. National Team at the World Cup in 2002 and 2006. He played for the NC State men's soccer team from 1994 to 1997.

Mi Familia ("My Family") was formed to promote the Latinx community and discuss important events and issues.

Andrea Hernandez, a mathematics student from Colombia, was named the first Latinx "Leader of the Pack." She was president and co-founder of Mi Familia. She was also active with the University Scholars Program, Phi Eta Sigma, Phi Beta Kappa, the Golden Chain Honor Society, the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, Chancellor's Liaison, and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers. She graduated in 2005 Summa Cum Laude with a BS in mathematics and mathematics education.

The Technician reported a total of 450 Latinx students enrolled at NC State as part of an editorial about diversity on campus.

Puerto Rican Jose Picart was appointed Vice Provost for Diversity and African-American Affairs as well as professor in the Department of Counselor Education. Jose Picart later served as interim dean for the College of Education from 2009 to 2010.

La Raza de Mil Colores was created as a Latin dance team for NC State. It was formed to educate students and community members about the various culture and unique dance styles of Latin America.

Mi Familia and SHPE presented a Latin American cultural variety show called "Somos Estrellas" in Stewart Theatre.

NC State launched the Juntos Program in 2007 with a plan to provide high school Latinx students and their families with the knowledge, skills, and resources to ensure high school graduation and increase college access and attendance rates.

In the summer of 2010, student Saul Flores walked 5,000 miles across ten countries from Ecuador to Charlotte, NC, to bring awareness of Latin American issues. During this trip, he took over 20,000 photographs, and he donated sales from the images for the rebuilding of a school in his mother’s hometown of Atencingo, Mexico. The photographs were exhibited by the Libraries as the "Walk of the Immigrants." Flores graduated from NC State in 2012 with degrees in graphic design and business marketing.

The "Hispanic/Latino Symposium" was created as a summer transitional experience for incoming first-year students to maximize their academic success.

Latinx student enrollment reached 1,065 students with a total enrollment of 34,376 students for the 2010-2011 academic year.

The Technician began the Bienvenidos section of the newspaper as a response to the growing Latinx population in North Carolina. This addition created a bilingual section where articles would be printed in Spanish, with the English translations available online.

A chapter of the Society for the Advancement of Hispanics/Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) was formed as the first and only chapter in North Carolina. The organization's aims to increase the number of students of diverse backgrounds pursuing graduate degrees in STEM fields.

The VOLAR program was formed as a collaboration between students and faculty of of the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures and outreach organizations in the local community. The program aimed to help students practice their Spanish language skills while engaging "in service in the Hispanic community."

The Latinx organization, Mi Familia, held its annual cultural event called Salsabor to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. The celebration included traditional food, performances, and presentations from students and guest speakers.

The 2015 NC State Hispanic/Latino Fact Sheet reported an increased in Latinx student enrollment with 1123 undergraduates and 364 graduate students.

The Juntos program was recognized by the White House Intitiative on Education Excellence for Hispanics as a "Bright Spot in Hispanic Education Fulfilling America's Future."

To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, the GLBT Center (now Pride Center) held an event for scholars and activists to discuss gender inclusivity within gendered languages, specifically Spanish.

Jackie Gonzalez was the first Latinx person elected student body president. Gonzalez and Vice President Mia Connell formed the first woman-of-color team elected into the highest student government offices.

The Mi Familia scholarship was created to help mitigate the cost of higher education for Latinx high school students.

After graduating from the NC State College of Textiles where she studied fashion and textile design, Lisbeth Arias launched her own Latinx-inspired clothing line, fusing traditional Latin American textiles with modern fashion.

The network was founded to connect Latinx alumni with a mission to increase recruitment, retention, and engagement of future students.

Author and poet Sandra Cisneros gave a reading and talk at an event organized by Multicultural Student Affairs, NC State University Libraries, and the Farm Labor Organizing Committee. Cisneros, a MacArthur Fellow and recipient of the National Medal of the Arts, read a variety of narratives in English and Spanish.

"CAMINOS: Your Journey to College" is a program for Hispanic/Latinx students that highlights the college preparation process and university academic experience from the lens of community building and cultural exploration. The program was initiated by Marcela Torres-Cervantes, Assistant Director for Community Outreach and Engagement in Multicultural Student Affairs and Melissa Betancur, Admissions Recruiter.