Latino/Latina

• Advancing Latinx in Academia and Science (ALAS) at UCLA ALAS at UCLA is a student-led organization devoted to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion within healthcare, research, and STEM fields, with a particular focus on supporting premedical students. Our mission is to empower Latinx and other historically underrepresented students by fostering academic excellence, professional development, mentorship, and community engagement. At ALAS, we take pride in our cultural heritage, viewing our identities not as barriers, but as sources of strength that bring empathy, depth, and innovation to science and medicine. In fields where our communities are underrepresented, we pridefully lead with purpose, resilience, and tenacity. We aim to inspire our members to engage with the diverse dimensions of healthcare, critically examine the intersections of culture and medicine, and equip them to enter the field as empathetic, culturally insightful practitioners who better understand the lived experiences of the communities they serve.
• Andean Student Alliance Created so students of different regions, ethnicities, and fields interested in or connected with the Andes might find a sense of community at UCLA.
• Bruins Spanish Club We are a language learning club that offers a space for beginner to advance speakers to practice their Spanish-speaking skills.
• Destino de UCLA Latinos are the future of the United States! We’re a fast-growing and young community. Right now 1 out of every 5 kids born in this country is Latino. And more Latino/a students are enrolling in college than at any other time in history! For us, it’s about more than numbers. We believe that God has a special destiny for Latinos. He is going to use Latinos to change this nation and change the world. And so we exist to help raise up a generation of leaders from the Latino and Hispanic communities to change the world!
• Hermanas Unidas To unite and support Latinas and BIPOC people in their pursuit of a degree in higher education, Hermanas Unidas was founded to promote academics, community service, and collegiate networking, while emphasizing HERMANDAD. 1. Academics: Through an emphasis on academics not only do we empower our minds but our future as well. Group Study Halls, Scholarship/Internship Information, Academic Honor Society, 100 A's 2. Community Service: In the struggle to empower ourselves we must never forget about our communities. Compton Initiative, AIDS Walk, Health and Education Conference. 3. Collegiate Networking: In stressing Hermandad, a family network is created to foster an environment of respect and unity while supporting our own interests and talents. Quarterly Retreats, Statewide Conference, Fundraising Events
• La Gente Newsmagazine La Gente Newsmagazine is UCLA’s first and only Latine newsmagazine. We are an all-inclusive Latine platform for underrepresented voices in and around the UCLA campus. Our staff critically engages with issues impacting the different Latine subcommunities.
• Latin American Student Organization (LASO) LASO is an organization that seeks to generate a space for Latin American students to feel welcome at UCLA through social and cultural interaction. LASO, as the Spanish word suggests, is a bond that we hope is established among our members despite physical and cultural boundaries between our home countries.
• Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA) The Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA) at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science is a network of students, alumni, and health professionals whose mission is to promote the development of Latino students through educational, volunteer, professional and networking opportunities to foster diversity, higher education, and the improvement of the Latino community.
• Latino Staff and Faculty Association at UCLA Staff and Faculty based organization dedicated to empowering and advocating for Latino/a staff and faculty through networking and education.
• Latinos In Surgery Latinos In Surgery (LIS) was founded to bridge the gap for DGSOM Latino medical students and surgical specialties. We hope to do this by organizing surgical shadowing experiences, workshops, and networking events. Also, we hope to support and celebrate the achievements of Latino surgical faculty at UCLA. At LIS, we will empower Latino students pursuing surgical specialties through leadership, education, mentorship, and achievement. Join us in shaping a more inclusive and vibrant future for surgery.
• Latinx Admit Weekend at UCLA Latinx Admit Weekend is a Diversity Admit Weekend Program (DAWP) coordinated event consisting of a variety of guest speakers, cultural performances, workshops, social and academic events in order to welcome recently admitted self-identifying Latinx students. Our mission is to educate and provide resources for newly accepted self-identified Latinx students about their cultural identity, the barriers Latinx and other people of color face, and what it means to be a student of color in higher education, not just for the students, but for the entire community.
• Latinx Caucus at UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs The mission of the Latinx Caucus at UCLA Luskin is to provide a welcoming, empathetic and safe space that amplifies the voices of all Latinx communities; tackling injustice and inequality through solidarity, education, professional development, and social justice.
• Latinx Graduation Latinx Graduation is a student-initiated and student-run graduation ceremony that celebrates and honors the hard work of Latinx graduating students, their families, and their communities. Furthermore, it aims to inspire graduates to continue to pursue higher education and to apply the knowledge gained for the betterment of our communities. The graduation is open to all undergraduate and post-graduate students who value the access to higher education and retention of our communities. Although the graduation celebrates Latinx, participation is not limited by area of study, ethnic background, or national origin. We aim to create an inclusive space that celebrates our intersectional identities while cultivating a sense of unity.
• Latinx Law Students Association at UCLA LLSA's primary focus is to recruit, support, and graduate LLSA students. We advocate for training that prepares students to meet the needs of the legally underserved, particularly in the Latinx community. LLSA provides academic support for its students; serves as an organizing force around political issues; and creates a social atmosphere that promotes a shared culture and experience.
• Latinx Nursing Student-Alumni Association (LANSA) The Latinx Nursing Student-Alumni Association’s aims to advance the health and well-being of Latinx communities through collaborative partnerships within the School of Nursing and the greater Los Angeles area. Our mission is to empower and advocate for Latinx nursing students and nurses and foster educational and professional opportunities. All friends and colleagues who promote these goals are welcome.
• Latinx Pre-Law Association The Latinx Pre-Law Association is an organization dedicated to the advancement of Latinx self-identified students with an interest in pursuing a legal career. Through active community building we aim to demystify the law school experience, and increase the number of Latinx individuals in the legal field. Furthermore, we aim to develop a network of resources available to our members, encompassing a series of info-sessions, mentorship opportunities, and skill-development to succeed in law school. Our organization is centered on tackling inequalities across the legal spectrum, and transforming the next generation of conscious advocates.
• Latinx Student Psychological Association Latinx Student Psychological Association is a UCLA club organization committed to supporting Latinx students' journey through higher education and successful career paths. Our mission is to provide a supportive community and resources to help Latinx students thrive and achieve their goals.
• Mariachi de Uclatlán Founded informally in 1961 and first introduced as a formal course of study in 1964, Mariachi de Uclatlán is the first ensemble of its kind to be established at an academic university and is dedicated to the performance and preservation of traditional Mexican music, culture, and heritage at The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. Under the tutelage of Grammy-winning musical director, Jesús “Chuy” Guzmán, the ensemble is admired around the world for its exceptional legacy of passionate musical excellence and impact on mariachi education. Mariachi de Uclatlán features UCLA students – both graduate and undergraduate – and staff from diverse backgrounds and in fields spanning the full breadth of UCLA. Along with the Music of México Ensemble (Ethnomusicology 91K), Uclatlán features mariachi music in a variety of musical styles from various regions of Mexico, including son jalisciense, son huasteco, bolero, ranchera, and huapango.
• Ritmo Vivo: Latin Dance Team at UCLA The Latin Dance Performance Team at UCLA. We are a community creating, teaching, and performing Latin dance (salsa, bachata, and more). Our mission is to foster a collaborative environment in which any person of any dance level can be built up to be performance level. We are artists proudly sharing the bonds and love we have through the rhythms of Latin America.
• SOLES (Society of Latinx Engineers and Scientists) To address the issue of the low number of Latinx students enrolling in four-year universities, especially in the area of engineering, as well as to provide support for the Latinx community at UCLA. We seek to provide the resources necessary to help Latinx students achieve high academic success and receive internship/full-time job opportunities at an increased rate.
• UNICA (Unión Centroamericana de Estudiantes) We, the members of UNICA (or Unión Centroamericana de Estudiantes) envision a resilient Central American Diaspora supported by a lively and visible student-led movement that actively works to serve the community. Our mission is to empower Central American students at UCLA by building community, and informing members on political, historical, and culture through social events.