by Allesandra Plourde
The Latin and American Student Organization (LASO) is a student advocacy group that advocates and connects the Latinx/Hispanic community at American University. Their president Campbell Urrutia says that the club tries to balance between social and political events. “But as time has gone on especially in this [presidential] administration, we have seen that anyone identifying as really any minority especially as Latino is going to have to be political,” Urrutia said. With the presidential election so soon Urrutia is concerned that change is not on the horizon for minorities.
“I’m going to be honest; I am not very optimistic at all.” He believes that United States has refused to acknowledge racial injustices. “I would say right now race related issues are most important. Especially issues pertaining to Black people in America because I think that’s something that has been ignored for way too long” Urrutia said. He said that too many people go about their days not recognizing racial injustices because it doesn’t affect them directly and this needs to change.
“I feel a little more optimistic about American [University] than America,” he said. In his opinion, initiatives like AUX and the approval of all black student housing have been steps in the right direction but there is still work to be done. “I think this time around they [American University] really have to listen because the students have taken the conversation and put it in our own hands,” he said.
Urrutia is a third year CLEG major (Communication, Legal Institutions, Economics, and Government) currently residing in his hometown of Dallas, Texas. From his major he has gained a better understanding of economics and to him economic policy doesn’t feel personal. “I would like to live in a country where we all have healthcare and we wouldn’t have to worry about dying from paying out student loans until we are 100,” Urrutia said.
Advanced Reporting Times, Fall 2020 