The Joseph A. Unanue Latino Institute (JAULI) hosted the “Generaciones Gala” celebrating 20 years in New York City, New York, on Oct. 17.
Emceed by Damaris Diaz, a 1997 Seton Hall alumna and Emmy award-winning journalist, the gala welcomed the institute’s staff, students, sponsors, friends and “familia” at Cipriani on Wall Street.
Honoring the legacies of the past while looking to the future, the institute awarded five trailblazers for the Latino community at the gala: Sonia Manzano, Fernando Palomo, Rafael Toro, Erika Ota Liedtke and Kennis Fairfax.
Not only did this gala honor Latinos for their achievements, it also fostered a community and allowed students in the institute to make meaningful connections, to have “unimaginable” experiences and to feel at home at a place they have been told they do not belong in.
Lori Tarke, executive director of JAULI, said it is a “beautiful thing” when people come together at these events to support a community.
“It does something psychologically to you that makes you think that you can do anything,” Tarke said.
When Latino students see Latinos honored for their achievements, it allows them to realize they can achieve such accomplishments, too, she explained.
“When you can see [the honorees] you can see yourself in those roles and so every single time that [young Latinos] see somebody defy stereotypes, again, having the audacity…to break every barrier, and seeing them all around you, it really lets you know that it is possible,” Tarke said.
Tarke’s Cuban heritage and life experiences as a young person play an important role in her desire to help young Latinos.
“I realized that a lot of the things that I had experienced are still being experienced today and if I can do something with a little bit that I know to alleviate that I will,” Tarke said.
Similar to Tarke, Cristina Cosme, assistant director of JAULI, said that she wants to give students opportunities that she did not have as a young person.
“It's really about empowering the students and making sure that they know they have a support system behind them, that they know they have people who want to see them succeed,” Cosme said.
The institute assists students not only financially, but emotionally, too. Tarke said that being able to help students in this way is a rewarding experience.
“Every single day presents a new challenge, and to know that we have the ability to meet some of those challenges and to help them through and to prepare them through the next day,
it's a very rewarding experience,” Tarke said.
Tarke’s statements are not merely attempts to make the institute appear impactful. Students reflect on Tarke’s comments and show that the institute really does make a difference and assists them in a plethora of ways.
Alayna Rivera, a sophomore marketing major and public relations minor, said the institute markets itself exactly how it is: “a family filled with so much love and unconditional support.”
“It's just so beautiful to see, because it really enforces what familia is and what Hispanic love is, and the support that we show each other through events such as these,” Rivera said.
Gabriela Tineo, a sophomore philosophy and pre-law double major, said that events the institute holds, like Friday evening’s gala, remind Hispanics and Latinos, like herself, that they belong in these spaces.
“Looking around, you can see it’s so grand and beautiful here,” Tineo said. “I can never imagine myself just coming to an event space like this, but the fact that it's just filled with so many beautiful people of color and so many people who usually aren't welcomed in such spaces, it’s just really great.”
Adding to Tineo’s sentiments, Rivera reinforced that this event showed her that she does belong in extravagant places, and so do other Latinos.
“Most of us have grown up being intimidated by these places and events, thinking, ‘no that’s not meant for me,’ but JAULI really instills that confidence in us to go after what we want because it’s not reserved for anyone,” Rivera said.
The institute strives to be a place where everyone feels welcome, no matter what preconceived notions individuals may have.
Khalil Crumes, a junior accounting and criminal justice major, said that JAULI made him feel welcome even when he was unsure if he’d belong.
“As somebody who didn't really think of myself as somebody who belongs in a Latino institute like JAULI, even though I am half Puerto Rican and half African American, they really make me feel like I really belong,” Crumes said.
Crumes also said the institute “has literally changed my life.”
“I’ve never felt more part of something on campus than here, and events like this helped me see how people have grown and even given back to the institute,” Crumes said. “This has opened up so many more doors for us by being able to network with those people and thank them directly.”
Rivera wants to remind students of any background that “you are not an imposter and you belong in every room you’re in.”
Rivera, Tineo and Crumes credited Cosme for being one of the people who led them to join the institute. Cosme wants students to know that the institute is not solely for Latinos, it’s a place where everyone of any background is welcome.
“Get involved, whether you're Hispanic, whether you're not, we welcome everyone,” Cosme said. “The door is always open, just come to an event and say hi.”
Not only were students impacted by the event, but so were other attendees, ranging from superstars to CEOs.
Andy Unanue, son of the institute’s founding benefactor Joseph Unanue, attended the event to support the institute his father held dear and to support his friend Toro, one of the night’s honorees.
. “[The event] just opens everybody’s eyes to what the community has done, the benefits that they have provided…the auction events and superstars and sports and art that are Latino, the people in the crowd that are scientists, successful politicians, business people…there’s so much the community has accomplished,” Unanue said.
Carlos Medina, CEO of the Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey and executive producer of “¿Que Pasa NJ?,” said he attended the event to support Tarke and the honorees and to support an institute that inspires young people to follow the footsteps of these individuals.
“I'm very, very much about realizing the fact that we need role models, that's one of the reasons I did [‘¿Que Pasa NJ?’], and I don't feel like I had enough role models growing up,” Medina said. “So it's great to recognize people that are doing good things, that way the young people could see them and aspire to follow in their footsteps.”
Medina also said that it’s important to recognize Latino success because they do not always get the flowers they deserve.
One of the ways Latinos are benefiting society is by driving the economy, as the Latino gross domestic product in New Jersey is $127 billion a year. Medina aims to bring more attention to what the Latino community is doing because it often goes unaccounted for.
“We don't always get that recognition, so my job at the chamber is to wave our flag and tell corporations and CEOs about what we're doing because there's still times that people will throw out a negative comment, but we're saving the economy, not hurting it,” Medina said.
Wilda Diaz, sponsor of the event, and Yosayra Solano, a 2008 SHU alumna, both reinforced the importance of supporting education and other Latinas.
“Education is the key,” Diaz said. “Anything I can do for education, I will.”
Although she is no longer a student at SHU, Solano’s remarks echo those of Rivera, Crumes, and Tineo as she also acknowledges how events like this prove that she is welcome in atmospheres like the gala.
“Sometimes we are, often, you know, marginalized, or whatever the case may be,” Solano said. “When you see a place like this, and Seton Hall really saying Latinos matter right in the mission of this institute, it makes you feel more important, more seen and valued.”
As the emcee of the event, Diaz said it is an honor to be a part of an event that adds to the future of students.
“We didn't have this kind of support and this kind of funding when I was a student…but to see that turn into this today, and to be able to have the Unanue family backing this organization up, it really is a true blessing for Seton Hall, the students, and for the future of these young men and women,” Diaz said.
Lakyn Austin is the assistant editor for The Setonian’s Features section. She can be reached at lakyn.austin@student.shu.edu.
