The HUB Cultural Center is hosting an event that will hopefully create a space for Latinx students to start a dialogue about mental health surrounding the Latinx community. Being Latinx: Destigmatizing Mental Health in the Latinx Community will be taking place on November 23 from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. on Zoom. 

This is the second event of a three part series which first took place on October 12. It’s an event for students that explores cultural challenges around mental health and on access to resources It also delves into: “How to process heavy reliance on faith/religion versus therapy, and gender and sexuality within the Latinx community.” 

Fourth year student Ivana Guadalupe Hernandez Leon said, “I think this event can help a lot of students who are going through tough times and they can learn that they are not alone,” and that others could be going through similar experiences. 

The series is a collaboration between the HUB and CAPS and is meant to be a space for students to make a community and mutual support network with other students as well as self-care. The event is hosted by Senior HUB Program Executive Shelly Gomez. 

According to the event page, communities across the globe, “Face cultural barriers when exploring mental health, one of them being the Latinx community.”

 Gomez stated on the event page that it was important for students to meet with CAPS professionals who also identify as Latinx or Hispanic in a setting that’s more comfortable. 

As well as addressing cultural barriers, the series aims at providing, “A supportive space to help reduce stigmas and promote wellness for Latinx students.”

Executive Director for mental health nonprofit Humanidad Therapy & Education Services Nubia Padilla, said to the Press Democrat that barriers faced by the Latinx community are unspoken and cultural, and that come from a colonialist mentality that what we get is enough.

A 2017 Insider survey found: “Nearly 70% of Hispanic respondents believe that depression and/or anxiety is caused by a ‘personal weakness or failing.’”

Nataly Hernandez, a third-year student said, “The HUB is a space where students are able to express themselves without the fear of judgement or constraints of society. Advocating and sharing events about the HUB can bring more students in to bring diversity on campus.”

Hernandez Leon also said, “Being a first generation student, it does become harder for us because our family may not understand what we are going through but I have realized that support for us is everywhere.”

Events like these create conversations about mental health in safe spaces for students. These are conversations that they might not have elsewhere. Information about the event can be found on the HUB’s website. This is what an event like Being Latinx: Destigmatizing Mental Health in the Latinx Community is doing; bringing awareness to mental health which is something that’s stigmatized in the Latinx community.