Letter from the editor

¡Hola a todos y Bienvenidos a "Claro Que Sí": Yale’s Latine Undergraduate Magazine!

The Latine experience is one that continues to melt and mix into new states, forms and varieties, while still maintaining its very distinct Latinidad. However, many Latines, especially in largely PWI’s often feel cultural isolation or displacement that deserves its own recognition. Having experienced a majority Latine public high school for 4 years, I found myself always feeling like I wasn’t Hispanic enough, and clearly not white enough for the non-Hispanic kids. The mere idea of a Latine only student magazine would have been bizarre in a Miami public high school, given that this was basically just our school newspaper. Once I traveled up the coast, suddenly the people from my background were not represented in every club, class, form of media and publication. Where did the Latine voices go? Was the overwhelming nature of that voice just a norm in Miami? In a place that's supposed to equip us to make our own impact on the world, how can it be that we struggle to even find visibility on our own campus? Where did our voices go? But, that is where I went wrong. We just had to bring them together.

My papi used to always respond to our immature child-like requests with a simple, “Claro que sí,” reinforcing that we speak more Spanish with him at home. However, as a college sophomore, his words have taken on a new meaning for me. My latinidad is an asset, not a weakness. Le ving my Miami bubble made me realize that a majority Latine community is not the reality for most U.S. cities, but our presence – 1 or 500 – still has the same impact and importance in any space. Whether born and raised in Latin America or working to reconnect with your heritage in the states, each of our voices can amplify our larger community in a place that can often be stifling. At Claro, Latine “enough” does not exist. As a whole, our mission is to increase the inclusivity of the Latine community through the multifaceted world of the arts.

Claro is here to showcase the diversity of Latin American art, perspectives, experiences, and writing at Yale and beyond. Of course we are already here. Our voices are ours. Now we have the platform to amplify them, making them louder and stronger. ¿Entendido? ¡Claro que sí!

Welcome to our first edition.