"A lot of the people who are Latino grew up in Mexican-American communities, and they feel comfortable here," she added. "Our mission is to explore the elements of the Mexican-American culture, but we try to reach out to the Latino community as well."

Not for Everyone

Balancing the two communities has been RAZA's biggest challenge, leaders and members say, especially when a group officially designated for students of Mexican-American and Latino heritage has a membership that is primarily Mexican-American.

"They try to be more open to Latino cultures, but it's hard when they have Chicano roots," says Alex R. Rovira '99, president of Fuerza Quisqueyana.

While Fuerza Quisqueyana is officially a group for students of Dominican descent, Rovira--who is himself part Colombian and part Guatemalan--says the group appeals to students who have a Latino heritage.

A current member and a former executive board member of RAZA, Rovira says at study breaks sponsored by Fuerza Quisqueyana he could count on finding Caribbean food and listening to salsa instead of the Tejano music and enchiladas RAZA served.

"Even with Fuerza, it's hard to incorporate other cultures, but it's another avenue for Latino students," says Rovira, who is a Crimson executive. "Caribbean countries and Latin American countries eat foods that are more similar to each other."

A. Lizbeth Alatorre '99, president of Latinas Unidas, says that while RAZA may help meet the demand for Latino student groups, students can turn to smaller groups for more specialized needs.

"I just felt being a Latina was different from being a Latino," says Alatorre, who is a former executive board member of RAZA. "By talking about women's issues and putting women in a lot of leadership positions, Latinas Unidas fulfilled some of my needs."

She and Rovira both point to groups like their own and the Cuban American Undergraduate Student Association (CAUSA), the Harvard Brazilian Organization, the Harvard Organization of Latin Americans (targeted toward international students) and Concilio Latino, a University-wide umbrella organization as alternatives to RAZA.

But Alatorre and Rovira both say that not every Latino undergraduate is looking for the same things they were. For students looking for a larger group to join, or an opportunity to meet different cultures, RAZA may be the best option.

The Challenge

And it is accommodating these students, some of whom do not have a Mexican-American heritage, that creates RAZA's largest dilemma.

Every so often, members will debate the advantages and disadvantages of their dual commitment to both Mexican-American and Latino students, says Sergio J. Campos '00, president of RAZA.

"It's a recurring debate, but we're not out to exclude anyone," Campos says.