Despite active resources and programs that exist for the population, some say the Tufts Latino presence may be losing ground.
Every year in their March issue, Hispanic Magazine publishes a list of the Top 25 Colleges for Latinos. In 2003, Tufts ranked number 18 on the list, ahead of schools like University of Miami, Arizona State University and Texas A&M. The top three schools that year were Stanford, Rice and Harvard.
In 2004, Tufts moved up to number 10 out of the 25 schools listed. However, it did not make the list at all in 2005 or 2006.
According to its Web site, Hispanic Magazine takes many factors into consideration when making the list, including the quality of academics, cost and financial aid, extracurricular activities, and the number of bachelor degrees awarded to Latinos, among other things. This information comes mainly from statistics and rankings from other organizations.
One specific piece of information that the Web site notes is the rank of each school in America's Best Colleges, which is an annual list published by U.S. News and World Report. According to the Top 25 list in 2004, Tufts was ranked number 28 in America's Best Colleges that year. In 2007, Tufts ranked number 27. In terms of quality of academics, Tufts has remained consistent over the years.
Where Tufts might be faltering is in pure numbers of Latino students. The Top 25 list only considers schools with at least seven to eight percent Hispanic populations. According to Dean of Admissions Lee Coffin, Latinos have made up six to seven percent of each class at Tufts.
This is a low percentage by Hispanic Magazine's standards, especially because Hispanics make up 13 percent of the U.S. population. Many of the other colleges on the Top 25 list have higher percentages of Hispanic students. Stanford, which has almost always been at the top of the list, is 11-12 percent Hispanic, according to the statistics on Hispanic Magazine's Web site.
The numbers of Latino students at Tufts have been declining over the past few years. According to Latino Center Director Ruben Salinas Stern, the class of 2004 had 122 students who identified themselves as Latino, and the class of 2005 had 120. This year's incoming class had only 80 self-identified Latino students. In addition, Stern noted that the Latino population is becoming more middle-class as fewer urban students are coming to Tufts.
"Our numbers have gone down somewhat," Stern said, but he doesn't think that there has been a very big change in the school's make-up.
Nicolas Ojeda, the president of the Association of Latin American Students (ALAS), sees further importance behind the diminishing presence of urban Latinos at Tufts.
"If you grow up in a non-Latino area, not speaking Spanish, you might not value it as much," he said. These students are less likely to become involved with Latino programs. There are, however, many resources in place for Hispanic students at Tufts through the Latino Center, both academically and socially.
The Latino Center has a peer advising program, in which upperclassmen mentor younger students. They have lunch together, talk about classes and other issues that arise, and organize a retreat for first-year students. The goal of this program, according to Stern, is to provide more mentors for Latino students and help them with the transition into college.
"I do feel that being here at Tufts the Latino community sought me out and made me feel like I was welcome and had people looking out for me," Ojeda said.
"It was comforting to meet all these other incoming freshman," senior Lourdes Laguna said. "I was introduced to who was in the Latino community, which is something I wanted to know about."
Latino men's and women's groups also meet weekly. Ojeda noted that he made many friends through the men's group, which was formed two years ago. The group gathers to discuss social issues that members confront.
The Latino Center also organizes programs about Latino issues and culture, especially during Hispanic Heritage Month, which lasts from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 every year.
"From the interviews I have done and people I have talked to, the fact that we have a center and they know there's a group like ALAS makes them feel comfortable. They feel like they have somewhere to go to," Ojeda said. He also said that he has become more comfortable identifying himself as Latino since he came to Tufts.
"I'm from D.C. There you're black or white," Olas said. "This is one of the first times in my life when I've been able to comfortably say, 'I am Latino. This is me.'"
On the other hand, the Latino Center at Tufts has a staff of only Stern.
"It's basically me and students," Stern said. "We do a lot of good things I just think that it's just hard with one person."
