In Conversation with Dean Mari Castañeda: Celebrating Latinx Heritage Month, Cultural Pride, and Leadership

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As we celebrate Latinx Heritage Month, Dean Castañeda sat down with me to discuss upcoming programming to celebrate Latina/o/x culture and history, the significance of this month, and why she is so proud of her own heritage.

What are you looking forward to this upcoming Latinx Heritage Month here at CHC?

I’m looking forward to our event, Latin Rhythms Social. One of the reasons why I wanted to have something to highlight this month – not only because I myself identify as a Latina/Chicana, which is a Mexican American woman – is the fact that Latinas in higher education have not historically held positions of leadership. Often times, many underrepresented communities, histories, languages and cultures that have increasingly become part of the academy, haven't always been welcomed and included.

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Dean Castañeda and a student dance outdoors in the Commonwealth Honors College Residential Community during the Latin Rhythms Social; Photo: Will Kraft

As we enter into these academic spaces and are now representing the broader world, how does the university reflect that? The ways that we teach and the classes that we are offering, in the activities, events and programs that we create speak to not only the contributions that are happening in a larger social context, but even within the university itself.

In this particular case with the Latin Rhythms Social, the DJs are a group called Peace & Rhythm, and one of the things that is really important to them as they play the music is sharing its history, its representation, its particular era, the specific country it is from, and the importance that the song represents.
 

DJ Andujar & DJ Bongohead of Peace & Rhythm, Photo: Myles Braxton

Music is more than a gorgeous sound — since it often represents broader social, political, and cultural contexts that also demonstrate different ways of being in the world. I wanted to be able to have an event that is celebratory, that recognizes history and Latinx heritage contributions and do so in ways that students could appreciate — and dance in community.

I think these events are also important when we think about how we create a university, and an environment of higher education that is representative and inclusive of the people who are here. As our student body becomes increasingly diverse, and students come from a variety of racial, ethnic, cultural backgrounds, it is important to recognize how we make space for that diversity. There isn't only one way of being in the world.

So, how can we better incorporate all these other ways of knowing that enhance and deepen our understanding of one another and the broader social world that we live in — a world that students will continue to be a part of after they leave UMass?

You are the first Latina identifying Dean of the Honors College, what is the importance of having this representation in higher education?

I think that's an important question, because we have to recognize that folks are not coming from homogeneous experiences and backgrounds. That diversity of experiences is a source of cultural wealth.

I have lots of pride in my parents and our family’s Mexican and Puerto Rican heritages, and as someone who identifies as a first-generation student. My parents absolutely loved education but didn't have the economic resources or the cultural context that allowed them to attend college in the way that I was able to attend, and then continue on with my PhD. 

This rich cultural background and family experience has certainly impacted the way that I see the world and also the kind of research that I want to produce. I’ve always wanted to produce research that asks who's included and who's excluded. How do we provide more access to resources so that more people can experience the world in the way that allows them to be their best selves and allows them to reach their full potential?

My focus has always been communication because I think that communication in all its various forms not only tells a story but shapes the ways in which we see the world. If it's framed in a particular way, then folks may interpret it as being only one way — although there are different ways of being and knowing as well.

My perspective as a first-generation, bilingual Latina professor shapes not only the research that I conduct, but how I want to navigate my space in the world. And that includes also examining what the Honors College can do to help create a more inclusive space at UMass and in the broader social world.

Therefore, how do we create spaces that acknowledges that you are welcome here, and we see how you're making an important contribution to our university and in the world. When you're able to create an environment where you have people from all backgrounds coming together, then you're going to have opportunities for broader understanding, deeper conversations, and greater innovation as a result of those different perspectives being at the table. In fact, these new perspectives may even broaden your own understanding as well and expand your world.

Although I am the first Latina dean, I’m also building on the history of folks who came before me, while also bringing a very unique approach that emphasizes a Culture of Care that is also rooted in my own research on access and inclusion. 

What advice would you give to these underrepresented students that you are trying to bring into this space?

What I think is helpful for myself and a lot of students of color in particular, is to recognize that you possess cultural wealth. That cultural wealth, in many ways, is not only your foundation but also your superpower. It’s something that helps you recognize your uniqueness and value in the environment. It also gives you the depth and resilience that is necessary for living a life that is affirming, meaningful, and fulfilling.

Ultimately, your cultural background has a lot of richness and depth, and you have the power to make a deep contribution to the world with this solid foundation. I would encourage students to lean into that.

For instance, I walk in the world with a lot of confidence, and my confidence isn't merely rooted in my PhD or my accolades. My confidence is rooted in my sense of self, and the cultural backgrounds that I lean into with a sense of pride, including the culture of lifelong learning. That connection grounds me and allows me to be me in the world — especially when the challenges come.

As mi mamá once said, “My house is built on rock, not on sand.” That is, when the rains come, the house built on sand falls apart. But when your house is built on rock, it's solid. No matter the challenges, you're able to withstand all of that because you know who you are, and you're very clearly rooted in a way that gives you strength and confidence.

What resources here at CHC and the University should students from underrepresented groups take advantage of?

The great thing about CHC is that we're a collaborative college. We are composed of students from across the whole campus. The goal is to consistently build those partnerships across the campus. Our college has been part of the Latinx Heritage Month committee that's organizing lots of various events across campus. We're involved with the Puerto Rican Day Parade that happens in Springfield. There were several of us that marched and participated in that. Then there's other events that are happening on campus that the Honors College community is participating in. Students also can take advantage of CMASS, it is a good home for first-gen students and students of color.

However, it is very important for students to connect to the people that they're feeling most connected to. Ideally, students are connecting with the advisors here at CHC and hopefully finding that their advisor is someone that is in their corner. I'm hoping that students will find the various different folks that are here at CHC, including myself, as that person as well.

A student in the Advising Center meets with academic advisor Breyana Roman, Photo: Kimberly Manyanga

What is your favorite piece of Latinx literature?

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros.

It's so wonderful because it's about the ways in which we have multiple heritages that speak to us. It’s set in Chicago, and it is the perspective from a young Latina girl and she's living in this expansive world. It really speaks to me.

What is your favorite Latinx Movie?

Stand and Deliver directed by Ramón Menéndez.

It’s a movie about a math teacher in East LA, which has this Latinx main character and students that come from a multiracial and predominantly Latinx community. It was very inspirational to me because I saw it when I was in high school, and I began to think of myself as an educator. There is this phrase in Spanish “saber es poder” which means “knowledge is power”, and this movie demonstrated exactly that.

What is your favorite song by a Latinx artist?

Bidi Bidi Bom Bom by Selena!