Student Groups
For a list of officers appointed to each of La Casa's resident organizations, please click here.
Alianza is a pan-Latino student group at Yale that seeks to unite students interested in sharing, celebrating, and learning about Latino Culture. The purpose of Alianza is to provide all interested students, Latino or not, with an opportunity to interact with each other through events and activities such as study breaks, discussion groups, dinners, and movie nights. Through the organization and its members, Alianza hopes to foster great solidarity among Latino students at Yale and to enhance the overall Latino presence on campus.
Los Amigos is a unique mentoring program that matches male high school students at Wilbur Cross High School with male college students at Yale. Through friendship, the high school students are motivated to complete high school and to make the kind of decisions which will help them become responsible adults. The Yale students serve as role models and mentors for these inner-city high school students.
Los Amigas, established using the Amigos model, pairs Latinas from Yale with Latinas enrolled at Wilbur Cross High School.
Ballet Folklórico Mexicano's (www.yale.edu/bf) purpose is to provide the Yale Community with a vivid aspect of Mexican culture that had been missing throughout Yale's history. Given a diverse range of colloquial \ dances from various regions of Mexico, the goal is to offer a festive and educational form of entertainment that no group at Yale has attempted before: the traditional, Mexican folk dance-Ballet Folklórico. In its fourth year (2001-2002), Ballet Folklórico Mexicano de Yale performs dances from the regions of Chiapas, Chihuahua, Zacatecas, Veracruz, and Jalisco.
The Cuban-American Undergraduate Student Association, better known as CAUSA, was established in 2005 to serve the needs of both Cuban and Cuban-American students by providing an open forum wherein to share and promote our common heritage. CAUSA also seeks to foster dialogue and raise public awareness pertaining to the social, political, and cultural issues affecting both the Cuban and the Cuban-American communities in the States and abroad.
Despierta Boricua (www.yale.edu/db) is the Puerto Rican Undergraduate Student Organization at Yale University. Founded in 1972, the main objective of the organization is to foster a sense of community among Puerto Rican undergraduates at Yale. DB strives to meet this objective through advocacy efforts and by coordinating cultural, educational, and social events. DB also tries to increase undergraduate interaction with the New Haven community through community service initiatives.
The Dominican Student Association: QuisqueYalies (www.yale.edu/dsa) was started at the beginning of the 2005-2006 school year. Our goals include sponsoring informative and social events that will aid in addressing issues concerning Dominicans and other Latinos. Also, we plan to concentrate our efforts on recruitment and retention of Dominican students by developing academic and personal support networks for undergraduate students and establishing networks with professionals and DSA alumni. DSA also strivies to serve Dominican communities in the US and abroad through community service. DSA intends to serve as a resource to the Yale community on Dominican affairs by obtaining historical and updated information about the Dominican Republic. So far, DSA has hosted dinners, parties, movie screenings and fundraisers. In the future, we hope our efforts will culminate in a Dominican themed conference at Yale that will bring our community together and empower us.
Yale's Hispanic Scholars Foundation Chapter facilitates the educational and professional success of Latino students by promoting principles and practices of high academic achievement. More specifically, the HSF Scholar Chapter helps students to leverage the resources 1) to attain their chosen degree (undergraduate and graduate); 2) to develop the pre-professional skills needed in post-degree professional life; 3) to serve as mentors and peer resources to younger students.
La Unidad Latina, Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity, Inc., (www.launidadlatina.org/chapters/kappa) was established to address Latino issues that academic institutions often are unaware of or ignore altogether. Founded in 1982 at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, La Fraternidad seeks to take a leadership role in meeting the needs of the Latino community through initiative, dedication, and diligence. We maintain a firm commitment to the empowerment and betterment of all Latinos. LUL Inc. addresses key areas of concern to the Latino community with great conviction. Kappa chapter of the Fraternity was established in the Spring of 1992 with hopes of helping Latino's in the Yale community get better acclimated to the this rigorous academic environment and to provide the means for establishing a future network of business professionals. Hermanos come from all different social and economic backgrounds eliminating the assumption that an Hermano fits into any specific mold. The chapter concentrates on academic achievement, community service, and cultural enlightenment.
Latin American Students Organization (www.yale.edu/laso) assists Latin American students in adjusting to American culture by providing a comfortable social atmosphere with emphasis on cultural celebration. There are weekly dinners at La Casa Cultural or at a select dining hall and occasional weekend ventures to Mi Tierra Cafe, a New Haven club featuring salsa and merengue music. In order to foster a comfortable atmosphere, the organization refrains from political activities. Please e-mail the coordinator in order to be placed on the e-mail list.
MAS (Math And Science) Familias works to support Latinos interested in math and science by creating familias comprised of upper-classmen, sophomores, and freshman. A community of scholars is formed through activities that include dinners with Yale alums in math/science, lab visits, social events, and weekly dinners.
Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán (www.yale.edu/mecha) A Movimiento is a pursuit of greater gains by individuals united loyally with one another, focused not upon the status quo but instead striving to bring about respect and equality. The energy to lead the Movimiento stems from the creative consciousness of Estudiantes, driven not by self-righteous motives but by the firm belief that united as an organization the interests of the greater Chicano community can be fulfilled. The spirit that guides these Estudiantes Chicanos is rooted in their past, their homes, their heart, Aztlán. The spirit that gave their ancestors life, the spirit that thrived in the soul of the Mexica, is the same spirit that gives the Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán strength to succeed and endure.
Sigma Lambda Upsilon, Seńoritas Latinas Unidas Sorority, Inc., exists to create a bridge between all women committed to seeking the social and political advancement of underrepresented populations. The organization was founded on December 1, 1987, at Binghamton University by four women whose efforts have created an organization that provides sisterhood and support, while also promoting academic achievement, leadership, service to the community, and cultural enrichment. On April 3, 1999, seven women who wanted to unite a divided Yale Latina community founded the Pi Chapter of SLU. In this past year, Pi Chapter accomplishments have included: hosting the 17th Annual National Founders Day Convention; putting together Pi’s first annual “Celebración de la Mujer Latina;” spearheading a discussion entitled Black/Latina Relations and Identity; and starting Juntos por JUNTA, which provides ESL tutoring to Latino adults in New Haven, through JUNTA for Progressive Action—New Haven’s oldest community based Latino organization.
Yale Mexican Student Organization (www.yale.edu/ymso) Our goal is to promote the presence of Mexico at Yale and the presence of Yale in Mexico by organizing social events, cultural activities, forums, and seminars. YMSO was founded on 2004 by students from almost every corner of Yale: undergraduates, graduates, and professional students.
Ypsaniola is devoted to serving people living in the Dominican Republic, especially those that suffer from serious poverty and whose human rights are violated. These people include those of Batey Libertad, a Haitian migrant community outside of Santiago that strives to be a model for other bateys seeking to empower themselves. Yspaniola members travel to the Dominican Republic twice a year on community service missions.
