Charter2/Purpose

from the Macalester Public Knowledge Base

The purpose of ¡Adelante! is the following

Contents 1 Advocacy of Latina students 2 Bridging interests 3 Support of Academic Programs 4 Community Partnership 5 Coalitional Relationships 6 Minority Solidarity 7 Inclusive Flexibility 8 Exclusive Flexibility

[edit] Advocacy of Latina students

To advocate the presence of Latin@ students at Macalester and provide them with support through the following actions:

1. Improving retention of Latina students by creating supportive (physical) spaces on Campus;
2. Promoting the recruitment of Latina students through the Admissions Office as well as by independent action;
3. Championing causes that concern Latina students by working with other Student Organizations, the College Administration and Community Organizations;
4. Educating the community on social issues common to Latinas.

[edit] Bridging interests

To strive for the bridging of interests among Chicano/U.S. Latino students and Latin American students in recognition to the long-standing tensions between these groups through the following actions:

1. Engage members in reflective discussion about histories and goals that constitute points of encounter for Chicanos/U.S. Latinos and Latin Americans;
2. Raising awareness about unequal and often essentializing perceptions from the community and its own membership towards domestic Latinas based on race and linguistic “purity”;
3. Highlighting current political, socioeconomic and cultural differences and commonalities among the Latin American nations and peoples;
4. Organizing campus events that integrate both the Chicano/U.S. Latino and Latin American issues;
5. Close collaboration between U.S. Latino and Chicano Issues and Latin American Issues Coordinators around strategically relevant issue areas.

[edit] Support of Academic Programs

To support the development of Latina/o Studies and Latin American Studies through the following actions:

1. Increasing the number of classes, lectures, and seminars in Latina/o Studies and Latin American Studies;
2. Participating in curriculum development of Latina/o and Latin American Studies at respective Steering Committees;
3. Promoting the hiring of Latina faculty and staff;
4. Supporting faculty and staff-led initiatives that benefit the fields of Latina/o or Latin American Studies.

[edit] Community Partnership

To establish a partnership relationship between Macalester College and the Latina community of the Twin Cities and surrounding areas through the following actions:

1. Networking with Latina community organizations, businesses, student organizations at other colleges, educational institutions, religious groups or institutions, artists, political groups, and other relevant constituents of the Twin Cities Latina community;
2. Utilizing Latina business’ services on a regular basis;
3. Connecting students with volunteering and employment opportunities in Latina community organizations, and vice versa;
4. Support Latina organizations’ initiatives through direct involvement, sharing of key information, campaigning and endorsements;
5. Cross-referring Latina organizations with college offices or other student organizations as appropriate.

[edit] Coalitional Relationships

To establish coalitional relationships with organizations that support the goals of Latina empowerment and Multiculturalism in general through the following actions:

1. Encouraging the support of community initiatives that may benefit Latinas, people of color, or immigrants;
2. Endorsing or campaigning for local, state, and federal legislation, in the U.S. and abroad, that positively impact lives of U.S. Latinos, Chicanos, Latin Americans, Latin American Immigrants or peoples in Latin America, upon popular suffrage among its membership, and urging the student government and college administration to take similar measures;
3. Establishing cooperative relationships with other student organizations that may be able to contribute to ¡Adelante!’s internal purposes as stated in Section 1. i, ii and iii.;
4. Encouraging Latina representation in student government positions and working with other representatives towards a shared and mutually beneficial agenda as defined in Article II, Section 1.vi.

[edit] Minority Solidarity

Given the history of racial, ethnic, gender, linguistic, citizenship, and legal status based discrimination that still continues to this date against Chicano and U.S. Latinos, and recurring U.S. and other world powers’ political and economic interventions in Latin American countries, Latinos are in a critical position to understand the struggle of the oppressed. ¡Adelante! is willing to cooperate with student organizations on issues of gender, the environment, poverty, racial discrimination, workplace injustice, immigration and cultural preservation, recognizing that efforts for social justice are part of long-term efforts for Latina empowerment. This commitment amounts to giving time to its members to bring up issues from other organizations to ¡Adelante! meetings and encouraging its members to get involved in other campaigns and help shape them in ¡Adelante!’s internal purposes as stated in Article II, Section 1:i, ii and iii.

[edit] Inclusive Flexibility

¡Adelante!’s purpose shall not be limited to the above objectives; any issue deemed appropriate by the U.S. Latino and Chicano Issues Coordinator, Latin American Issues Coordinator, or a seconded motion from its members shall, upon modified consensus, become ¡Adelante!’s explicit purpose at any time of the year. Such amendments shall be reported by the Co-Chairs to the Student Services Commission (SSC) Chair at the student government at the end of each semester.

[edit] Exclusive Flexibility

Any goal deemed inappropriate by the U.S. Latino and Chicano Issues Coordinator, Latin American Issues Coordinator, or a seconded motion from its members shall, upon modified consensus, be removed from the list of ¡Adelante!’s explicit purposes at any time of the year. Such amendments shall be reported by the Co-Chairs to the Student Services Commission (SSC) Chair at the student government at the end of each semester.