UC Irvine Giving Day

The Latinx Resource Center (LRC) was founded in 2019 to raise awareness of social, political, economic, historical and cultural realities of the Chicanx/Latinx communities. We accomplish this mission by offering our campus community resources, programs and a space where cultura, arte and academia are interconnected. The LRC is open to all students who support this mission and we believe these efforts will broaden access, increase retention and ensure clear pathways to graduation.

We invite you to learn more about our signature and recurring programs below. Your Giving Day gift to the Latinx Resource Center Programs fund will help us continue to produce these important and engaging programs that benefit our students and entire community.

Signature Programs

La Bienvenida | The Welcome: this event serves as a welcome to all students, faculty and staff at UC Irvine by elevating and highlighting Latinx cultural expression. This event also provides opportunities for engagement through LRC-affiliated student organizations.

Latino Excellence & Achievement Dinner (LEAD): this collaboration with the Office of Inclusive Excellence is the only celebration and awards event in the University of California system focused on Latinx graduate student success. Currently, Latinos are 41% of the state population in California (2026) but are only 14.69% (2026) of the graduate student population at UC Irvine. LEAD aimed to raise awareness of challenges experienced by the graduate community, increased visibility of success, and inspired the Latinx community to continue to advance in graduate and postdoctoral programs.

Dia de los Muertos| Day of the Dead: is a holiday event that reunites the living and the dead, where the community welcomes back and honors those that have come before them. This celebration is a campuswide program where the LRC provides complimentary face painting for the students. We will be losing our temporary funds next year that have covered this expense for the last five years. 

La Despedida | The Goodbye: The Latinx communities’ end of the year celebration is co-hosted by the LRC-affiliated student organizations aka Mesa Unida. Student organizations table for fundraising opportunities. Ballet Folklorico de UC Irvine & Mariachi Orgullo de UC Irvine perform along with other musical performances.

Nuestra Graduación at UC Irvine: is a registered student organization whose sole purpose is to coordinate and administer the namesake event. The LRC plays a large role in advising and assisting with managing the finances. This past year, Nuestra Graduación was a $57k+ event held at the Bren Events Center with 375 graduating students, and over 400 on the waiting list. Because of the scale and need for a second ceremony, your financial support is crucial to the future success of this event.

Recurring Programs

Cafecito con Profesores: these casual talks are structured as a series for the student community to engage with Chicanx/Latinx faculty across campus. This is an opportunity for students to engage with professors about their research and learn about how they navigate academia, identity development and career trajectories.

Meet Your Pueblo: a social series set up to encourage students from different Latinx backgrounds to meet new people and build community. It includes a series of icebreakers and activities that have the students interact in engaging ways to foster a community.

Spanish Hour: The Spanish Hour series aims to give all students a safe, supportive and welcoming space to practice their Spanish language skills – no matter their fluency level. It is structured in a biweekly format with interactive activities, the incorporation of mixed media and guest faculty speakers to enhance learning.

Perspectiva Fresca series: This series is led by our wellness intern and aims to cultivate a space for education and community. The format is traditionally a presentation followed by a conversation among participants focused on demystifying mental health topics within the Latinx community. This series allows for a safe and welcoming space for all – which contributes to the importance of wellness and well-being as it relates to identity development.

Thank you in advance for your support!