Where is Lupe? Latinx Staff and Students Fight For Answers
On Sept. 9, several UC Berkeley students filled the ASUC’s senate meeting in support of Lupe Gallegos-Diaz, director of Chicanx Student Development (CLSD), the Latinx Student Resource Center (LSRC), and lecturer. She was abruptly placed on administrative leave on Aug. 27.
Artwork is courtesy of Helen Yanez, an artist and illustrator based in Santa Maria California whose work is deeply rooted in the rich cultural heritage of her Purépecha ancestry.
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“Bring Back Lupe! Bring Back Lupe!” could be heard from Eshleman's 5th Floor.
Of the students who attended and chose to give public comment, UC Berkeley Student Alex Avila mentioned they witnessed Gallegos-Diaz being escorted out of the LSRC during operational hours that day.
“The whole thing seemed prison-like… I went to go look for her later that day and all I could ask was ‘dónde está Lupe?’”said Avila.
CLSD interns were notified by their assistant directors Aug. 29. Gallegos-Diaz was placed on administrative leave due to “lack of professional judgement” according to a senate resolution calling for her reinstatement.
While this leaves both centers without a director, Associate Vice Chancellor of Equity and Inclusion Elisa Huerta, promised students that all courses and programming would continue, according to the resolution passed Wednesday night.
However, “Latinx Leadership,” CLSD’s largest seminar which serves over 40 students, has been cut.
“There are a ton of students right now that are without those units, and those are things that are crucial to our environment here as Latinx students,” said Senator Niki Aguilar at the meeting.
Since the news of Gallegos-Diaz’s leave not only have students shown up in person, hundreds of students and community members have taken to social media urging campus administrators for transparency.
As of Sept. 11, the Thrive 4 Lupe Instagram account reached 1,300 followers, and its petition to reinstate Gallegos-Diaz gathered 2,200 signatures. Additionally, The California Latino Legislative Caucus sent a letter on Sept. 5 to UC Berkeley Chancellor Rich Lyons requesting Gallegos-Diaz’s review and reinstatement.
In an email to UC Berkeley’s Latinx community, Chancellor Rich Lyons and Interim Vice Chancellor of Equity and Inclusion, Fabrizio Mejia, said they cannot discuss personnel matters due to campus policy, but they remain committed to “investing in and strengthening the program’s spaces and resources,” supporting Chicanx and Latinx students.
Despite assurance from the administration, Latinx students worry about the future of the centers, calling the administrative leave part of a larger pattern.
“This extends outside of the Berkeley community,” said Senator Selina Mendez, the primary sponsor of the resolution at the meeting. “This isn’t an isolated incident, this is a trend.”
Gallegos-Diaz was also leading Latinx-Thriving initiatives at other UC campuses, notably the “Latinx and The Environment” initiative.
Emma Enriquez, a UC Berkeley student and administrative assistant to Gallegos-Diaz, voiced concern over the administrative workload left behind and the status of Gallegos-Diaz’s courses. According to the senate resolution, Gallegos-Diaz was placed on leave as director but not as a lecturer.
“We’re trying to navigate the standing of our programming and how this differentiates with her lecturer position,” Enriquez said. “It’s a lot for the remaining pro-staff.”
CLSD interns pledge to continue advocating for the reinstatement of their director, who’s worked at UC Berkeley since 1994.
“Lupe’s been here forever,” said a CLSD intern, who asked to remain anonymous. “That’s why we’ve been fighting to get her reinstated, there's no reason she should be treated like that…and even if [the administration] are doing everything they can for the center—them doing this is automatically an attack on the center, on us… and our community. Y’all are saying it, but you’re not doing it.”
UC administration will continue to update students through the CLSD/LSRC Continuity Updates Doc.