Students are raising concerns about the Latin Community at Butte College because of the ways funding cuts triggered changes to programs that benefit the LatinX  community.

Some of the changes include reducing a large part of the budget for the LatinX graduation and changes in CASA (Center for Access, Success and Achievement), a program that is known for supporting Hispanic students. Similar changes are happening  to the Cultural &Community Center (CCC) and other affinity group centers.

The changes for CASA and for the Cultural & Community Center are a result of a notification from the federal government last fall. HSI (Hispanic-Serving Institutions) funding  was eliminated by the federal government for all colleges in California for what the federal government now describes as “racially discriminatory programs.” Butte College is designated as an Hispanic Serving Institution because over 31% of our student population identifies as Hispanic/Latinx.

Butte College, like many institutions of higher learning, has a documented disproportionate impact in each of the student equity indicators. Student support programs like CASA and the CCC help students feel connected to the college and improve resiliance because students feel a stronger sense of self-acceptance.

Because of the federal cuts, Butte College lost the grant to support programs like CASA and the CCC.  The college’s annual budgeting process, normally approved in the spring, was abruptly changed due to the federal cuts, and communication about how the college intended to adapt to these changes were reportedly poor.

CASA and the centers are currently working on how to reorganize for the next semester. These programs will look very different in terms of the ways they have previously supported students.

For example, a celebration for the Latinx students is held every year for before graduation. This event, which hosts over 300 people, takes months of advanced planning and is normally organized around a budget of $15,000.

Last month, in March, that unit planning process was abruptly changed and programs were told to apply for a standard amount of up to $3000 per program. The Latin population is the second biggest population at the College so the event draws a larger number of participants. Family, friends and celebration of accomplishments is essential to the Latin culture, and the event is considered by many to be less intimidating than the larger student graduation ceremony.

Because of short notice of the new distribution process that would result in a signficant reduction in funding for the event, the planning committee orginally decided to hold a smaller event. In the past, the celebration included mariachis and dinner since many participants come straight from work.

This year, the small celebration, offering desserts, will be held from 11:30 – 1:00 PM on May 21, in the Main Campus Center, The Nest.

At the Board of Trustees meeting on April 15, trustees expressed frustration at the mixed messages received from state and federal goverments and acknowledged how difficult it is to make decisions under these circumstances. Students and staff claim the situation was made worse by poor communication from the college which created an atmosphere of confusion and rumors.

Despite the continuation of the celebration event, multiple students who belong to the Latin community are raising concerns about these new changes. They shared their opinions with The Roadrunner about how much the programs and centers that support diversity and Latinx students matter to them.

“ I feel sad, and anxious, because I’m not gonna have the chance to enjoy what I wanted my celebration to look like. I want to celebrate with my own culture; I dont wanna be separated what makes me.”

Another student shared their opinion about the funding cut of some programs:

“Knowing that the centers and some programs are in risk of getting cut, gives me a scense of anxiety because I feel I’m losing that part of my community which is part of my belonging here at Butte. And losing this, I feel I’m losing part of myself.”

Others emphasized how the programs makes the students feel supported saying and what the consequences would be if this benefits are cut or in risk:

“These centers and programs give students hope.”

“There are a lot of Latinos and people with other ethnicities as well. They don’t always have the support that they need, and when I in walk here [the Cultural Community Center], I feel safe. But for  students, if we don’t have these centers, how would they feel they belong or be motivated to go to school?”

To conclude, they wanted to express why these spaces and reductions make people feel as though they do not belong to the Latino community.

“All of those steps that we took forward, to becme accepted by the community, are now steps taking back. This spaces show our resilience as a community, that we overcome oppression, we overcome all of these hard situations, and we get to celebrate with each other because of that. We need to have our spaces where we feel safe.”

The Hispanic population makes up 21% of the population in Butte County, which means about 41,7K people in 2024. These new policies and decisions from the federal government affect a significant part of the population not only in Butte County, but also across the country.

Hispanic students at Butte College are one of the largest student groups on campus, which is why the spaces and programs that support Latinx students are important, and their reduction may cause students to feel anxious and concerned about what will happen in the coming years.

Advisor’s note: Because of the political climate, students were afraid to have their name on record for this topic. The production team decided that for this story, it was reasonable to keep the identity of sources private.