UC Berkeley Students, Alumni, & Community Members --

Lupe Gallegos-Diaz, the director of the Chicanx Latinx Student Development Office & Latinx Student Resource Center has been placed on administrative leave. As many of us know, Lupe was a genuine advocate, not just for the Latiné community on campus, but for our broader communities. 

The Chancellor and Vice Chancellors have not communicated to campus community how the school year will look like without Lupe’s leadership. Lupe's position with the CLSD oversees instructional courses such as Intro to Central American Studies, the Casa Magdalena Mora Program, Latinx & The Environment, Chicanx Latinx Leadership, MALCS, & more.  Her work with our center has provided a space to truly thrive on a campus that was not built for us. 

She has given support and fought for Latine students across UC campuses, not just here in Berkeley. Her presence in CLAA, the Berkeley Latinx Nonprofit Network, Chicana Latina Scholarship Foundation, and many other organizations is vital. Her absence is felt, and without her mentorship many Latiné students feel lost, hurt, and pushed down by administration. We demand communication and transparency immediately regarding Lupe’s position. We deserve a plan of how to move forward as a community. 

If interested in learning more follow, @thrive4lupe on Instagram.