Chicana with a mighty need to protest Chicana con ganas a protestar

Achieving a sense of safety among those who feel threatened has become a widespread cause.

Protests, walkouts, and campaigns have sprouted throughout the country following the recent election, and one woman stands at the center of it all.

Student activist Melissa Robles is passionate when it comes to representing the Latino community.

Robles, chair of the Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan (MEChA) club at Pierce, has been studying at Pierce for two years. As a 21-year-old Hispanic female, Robles feels it is her duty to voice her concerns on the current President-elect and unity within the people.

Robles joined MEChA last spring semester and became further involved in student activism. MEChA in English translates to Student Movement of Chicanos of Aztlan. Aztlan is the land of the Chicanos that they call home. Robles explained how this land includes California, Nevada, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, and every part of the United States that used to be Mexico.

Robles was interested in joining the MEChA Club because she was a member at the MEChA Club in her high school. She explains how the MEChA club helped her grasp a better understanding of the Latino community and their everyday struggles.

“I actually was in the advisor’s Chicano’s study class which is how I got involved and even found out there was a MEChA club on campus,” Robles said. “Last year things turned around for me because one of our biggest concerns and main goals last semester was to add more Chicano studies classes here on campus, given that 43% of the population is Latino or Hispanic identifying. So we just felt like we were being under represented especially in our studies and within staffing. So our goal was not only to get classes but also have those classes be taught by Chicano professors.”

Robles has also participated in various protests including the walkout that occurred on campus last week. She spoke to the crowd of students and faculty.

Robles’s main concern with Donald Trump’s presidency is not completely focused on illegal immigration, but more towards his platform in reaching an entire nation.

She believes if Trump continues to speak out with hatred, the division between all races will increase instead of unifying each other.

Robles has many friends, family