Delta College students shared films, poetry and personal stories exploring Latino identity Oct. 1 at the Dreamers Success Center during “Más Que Enough,” a Latine Heritage Month event.
The event addressed feelings that students and faculty share of not being part of a greater collective, whether because they don’t speak Spanish, come from biracial backgrounds or have different immigration stories.
Tina Leal, resource specialist at the Dreamers Success Center, and Adriana Brogger, a digital media professor who co-leads Delta’s Chicanx Latiné Faculty Task Force, organized the event.
Brogger, who identifies as Afro-Latina from Costa Rica, read from Dear Brown Girl by Prisca Dorcas Mojica Rodríguez and joined the conversation with personal reflections.
“We are not a monolith, that there are so many nuances to culture and to how we see ourselves. All too often, due to our geographic proximity to Mexico, Latin or Hispanic heritage is seen as just the Mexican flag, and it very much includes that, but beyond that as well,” Brogger said.
Second-year Delta student Christopher Altamirano presented his digital film “Dissociation,” which explores mental health and was created during his first semester at delta.
“One year ago, I was just an anxious person filled with anxiety, didn’t have confidence at all,” Altamirano said.
Altamirano said sharing his work helped him recognize the importance of expression on campus.
“A lot of people are too scared to express themselves,” Altamirano said. “Being able to express themselves in the way everybody did in an art form today is very powerful.”
Delta Digital Media student Estefania Picon also shared and presented her documentary “My Sport, My World” which explores how racquetball shaped her family’s identity and resilience after facing much adversity.
Picon, a first-generation college student who has played racquetball for 15 years, said the film showcases her siblings’ journey from junior Team USA to becoming world champions for Mexico.
Picon said her siblings, Andrea and Alex Picon, were mistreated by coaches during a 2023 tournament in Bolivia while competing for junior Team USA.
They moved to Mexico for two months to try out for the national team, made the roster and later faced their former U.S. teammates in competition as World Champions.
Picon said their story inspired her because they persevered despite being so young.
“Sometimes you don’t feel like you’re enough as a first-generation student,” Picon said. “You try to please everyone, but you don’t please yourself sometimes. And it’s important to remember that you are more than enough.”
The event ended with the universal message that all Delta students are “más que enough,” whether first-generation, mixed heritage or still discovering their roots.
