When consecutive and simultaneous tragedies affect a community, it can be difficult to respond properly. The Latin American community has currently experienced the difficulties of surviving hurricanes, earthquakes and attempts on behalf of the U.S. government to deny immigrants their basic human rights. As Puerto Ricans and members of the Latin American community, we currently find ourselves disconnected from our affected families in Puerto Rico and not knowing when we might return home to them. As members of the Washington University community, we find ourselves heartbroken and disappointed in the Association of Latin American Students (ALAS)–the one resource designed for students like us.

A well-known problem amongst Latin American students on campus is that ALAS is not as inclusive as it was designed to be. While it is meant to support the entire spectrum of Latin American experiences, the Mexican-American experience is evidently front-and-center. Sadly, this trend has recently become more salient to those of us who do not identify as Mexican-Americans at a particularly vulnerable time.

We understand and are sensitive to the fact that recent Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy changes disproportionately affect Mexican-Americans; as such, it is crucial that ALAS address said issue head-first. However, it does not excuse the hurtful disregard of other pressing problems plaguing the Latin American community. ALAS failed to emit a statement after the first and second earthquakes in Mexico and did not do so until students brought it to their attention. On Wednesday, Sept. 20, we received a similar reaction when we mentioned the lack of attention to the Category 4 hurricane that was destroying our island at the time. The trend continues: Venezuela was recently added to President Donald Trump’s travel ban, and ALAS has yet to make a statement.

There are 11 students from Puerto Rico throughout all four undergraduate years. We aren’t many, but we are here. We can’t speak on behalf of those affected by the earthquakes in Mexico, but we can say that we expected more on behalf of ALAS where Hurricane Maria is concerned. Belated blanket statements regarding “solidarity with our brothers and sisters in the Caribbean” are not enough. To this day, not one ALAS exec member has asked about our families and their well-being. They have, however, informed us that they simply lacked the time to address this issue properly due to all the planning surrounding DACA Week. DACA week has come and gone; we wonder what the excuse is now.

The undergraduate Puerto Ricans (including those studying abroad) have taken it upon ourselves to incite the Wash. U. community to message their representatives and senators demanding that the appropriate aid be made available to the island, to check-in with one other to make sure our families are well and to mobilize our contacts in order to corroborate the whereabouts of Puerto Ricans who have not been able to contact their family members in the mainland—all without the resources and organized support of ALAS. At the request of a Puerto Rican sophomore, they did share a link to a donation fund created by said sophomore.

We have been students at Wash. U. and members of the ALAS community since fall of 2014. Both of us have served as ALAS exec members at one point or another but became discouraged from continuing our involvement because we often felt that we had to shelve our own issues in favor of the issues that were being put on the spotlight. We ask that if your mission is to be there for all Latin American students, that you in fact show up for all Latin American students as needed. It is upsetting that even during our senior year, the events that are affecting our family, friends and home do not find a place in Wash. U.’s discourse.

As we sit to write this article, we are still unsure of the whereabouts and well-being of some of our loved ones. Moving forward, all we ask for is empathy and tangible support.