Bringing together "the wisdom of the elders and the energy of youth": Chicano/Latino Studies students find inspiration and joy from sharing a meal with Lansing Hispanic senior citizens
November 6, 2026 - Karessa Weir
Photos by College of Social Science photographer Jackie Belden Hawthorne.
The bright sunshine poured through the windows at the Multicultural Center as a stream of senior citizens slowly made their way off a bus and into a room filled with people who could be their grandchildren or even great-grandchildren. The students, many Chicano/Latino Studies students or graduates, bustle around setting up food, arranging tables and organizing Lotoria cards.
The seniors are members of Cristo Rey Catholic Church in Lansing. As they fill their seats, music flows through the speakers with Spanish lyrics on the room's large screens. They are welcomed in Spanish by the organizers as well as the students.
This event, labeled Raices de Comunidad or Community Roots, is the brainchild of Elias Lopez, director of MSU Farmworker Student Services. Lopez, an MSU master's graduate, has raised his family in the Lansing community and his children were always up for a fun field trip. He also knew Cristo Rey seniors liked to have new experiences. He knew that many of them worked at MSU and had children or grandchildren who attended MSU.
"We thought 'What would it look like to have an opportunity to have a cross-generational experience with students?'," Lopez said. "Give the students a chance to learn from those who paved the way for us. It was very intentional to bring them together – to bring all walks of life together, yes, but also all generations."
The students helped the seniors fill plates at the long taco bar at the back of the room, serving those who use wheelchairs and chatting with those in line.
Cristina Alcantar is a CLS alumnus who works with the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) and attends the Cristo Rey church. CAMP and CLS cosponsored the event.
"I think this event is really sweet and nice. I love that it gets seniors out of the church and gets students more involved in the community. It is cool to see them come together, " she said.
Also supporting the event was the Julian Samora Research Institute and the Center for Latin America and Caribbean Studies. Dean Transportation provided a free bus for the seniors to come to campus.
Among the organizers is Samuel Saldivar, Director of Multicultural Student Services at the Office of Multicultural Enrichment and Advocacy. He is a 2026 CLS PhD dual degree graduate with doctorates in English and Chicano/Latino Studies.
"I was motivated by the voices of our elders," Saldivar said. "Since the 1970s, we've been looking at potential ways to bring the community and the university together. This building is not just for MSU alone. When given the chance to bring together the wisdom of the elders with the energy of the youth over a shared meal, how could I say no?"
Juan Flores is the Student Success and Community Initiatives coordinator in the Office of Cultural & Academic Transitions. He is a two-time MSU graduate with a bachelorsbachelor's degree in Criminal Justice and as master's degree in Clinical Social Work.
"This event is a no brainer for us. It was very easy to partner to and connect seniors and students – to bring this lived wisdom, so much wisdom, to the students. This is the kind of thing we love to do – connect undergraduates with the wisdom and knowledge of our elders,” Flores said.
Rafael Gordillo is a Sociology major and CLS minor. He is also co-president of Culturas de las Razas Unidas, the student organization supporting Hispanic/Latine community at MSU.
"Talking to older people motivates me and reminds me ofa home," Gordillo said. "It is a visual reminder of why we study and persevere. It inspires me to keep going and give back."
Jessica Cornejo, a politics major in James Madison College and CLS minor, is the copresident of CRU and was excited to be offered an opportunity to interact with the Lansing community.
"I wanted to get close to the Lansing community, to preserve the legacy of CRU and to give back to the community," she said before passing out the colorful Loteria cards to the seniors and students.
Kimberly Monserrat Grimaldo is a second-year graduate student with a dual major doctoral program in English and Chicano/Latino Studies.
"I love the chance to interact with the community beyond the university. Little moments like this remind us to enjoy ourselves and each other. It makes me happy and fulfilled to be in spaces like this. It is sparking a lot of joy."
