On Thursday, December 12, more than 80 alumni and friends of the historic Wayne State University program once known as Latino en Marcha and Chicano-Boricua Studies, now the Center for Latino/a and Latin American Studies, reunited for the second time annually to celebrate the season and look ahead to the new year. Founded in 1971 by community members in Southwest Detroit working through local organizations LA SED, New Detroit Inc., and Wayne State, the program was designed to help young people with leadership potential access a college education. More than five decades later, the investment made by the program’s founders continues to bring many returns with students and alumni making local and national impact and maintaining a deep commitment to its mission.
Held at the Mexicantown Community Development Corporation’s Mercado on Bagley Street, the reunion featured festive decor, local fare, and a mix of Spanish and English holiday hits. During a brief formal program, founding alumnus Ben Esquivel of the 1971 Latino en Marcha class shared greetings and an invitation to fellow program participants in attendance. “At the time [of the program’s founding], we understood the significance of what we were partaking in. We called ourselves ‘la colectiva,’ the collective, and saw ourselves as a family…we want to pass that energy and responsibility to the next generations of leaders to ensure this program is here for years to come.” Esquivel, who earned a bachelor’s in business administration from Wayne State and led a successful career in global business, is one of countless program graduates that contributes time and resources to helping current students at the university. He announced the establishment of an official alumni association to launch in January 2026 with bylaws, goals, and elected roles. Alumni can learn more or participate in these efforts by emailing cllas@wayne.edu.
CLLAS Director Dr. Jorge L. Chinea reinforced Esquivel’s message in his own remarks, encouraging alumni of all decades to “keep coming back to celebrate the program that gave so much to you in support, friendships and opportunities.” Alumni also received an update about CLLAS activities from associate director Melissa Miranda-Morse, who shared details on the program’s newest student cohort, the 55th in its history, which has been taking classes at WSU since late June. She invited guests to save the date of April 17th for La Academia del Pueblo Conference, when these undergraduate students will be presenting research projects developed after nearly one year of college coursework. “CLLAS has much to look forward to in 2026,” she asserted.
The reunion was made possible through the generosity of sponsors MANA de Metro Detroit, SER Metro-Detroit, Mexicantown Community Development Corporation, all organizations with long legacies of community impact, and an anonymous donor who gave in honor of “Founding Fathers & Mothers of LEM/CBS/CLLAS.”
