On April 29th, Wayne State held its 16th Annual El Nuevo Comienzo Celebration, a cultural event which recognizes the achievements of Latina/o/x and Native graduates at Wayne State and honors the strong ties between the university and the Latino/a community in Detroit and beyond.
Keynote Dr. Patricia Miranda-Hartsuff, Associate Professor of Public Health at Wayne State, spoke of the immense sacrifices made by her parents to provide her with the opportunities they did not have as farm laborers in Texas. A second-generation Mexican American, Dr. Miranda-Hartsuff shared how important education was to her family. “My mother taught me to always ask questions…now, as a researcher, my questions try to uncover the factors that impact health in our community,” she stated during her inspirational and emotional speech to the graduates, encouraging them to keep asking questions in their respective journeys.
The bilingual event also featured speeches from graduating students Lucy Arias, Ximena Mazariegos, and Michael Ramirez, a third-generation college graduate whose grandmother, great aunt and great uncle attended Wayne State in the early 1970s and were cheering Michael on in the audience.
Additional highlights included a dedication to the graduates by Yarenda’ Nde Yahchrondiak, a singer and artist from the Huron-Wendat Nation, Latin hits from all genres and decades spun by the popular DJ Tony Toca, and pastries from Southwest-Detroit based Manny’s Pan and Sweets. All participating graduates received a serape stole embroidered with “WSU Alumni” sourced from Algo Especial Artesanías in Detroit.
El Nuevo Comienzo was hosted by the Wayne State University Center for Latino/a and Latin American Studies (CLLAS) in partnership with the Latinx Faculty and Staff Association, Office of Multicultural Student Engagement, and Office of Alumni Relations, and sponsored by the Myron P. Leven Foundation.
