La Casa Latina

As one of Penn’s six cultural resource centers in University Life, La Casa Latina: The Center for Hispanic Excellence promotes greater awareness of Latinx & Hispanic issues, culture, and identity at Penn.  

La Casa Latina is a crossroads of academic, personal, and professional growth for students interested in Latinx and Latin American cultures. La Casa Latina works closely with the Penn community to offer a supportive environment where all students are welcomed and engaged in programs, events, and dialogues that address important issues affecting Latinxs/Hispanics locally, nationally, and internationally. The Center regularly hosts conferences, trainings, and workshops. Students and Penn community members are welcome to gather, study, and socialize in La Casa Latina’s space.   

La Casa Latina supports the Latinx Coalition, a student-run umbrella organization, and all its constituent groups. The Center offers programs and mentorship to cultivate social and intellectual growth, hosts Freshman Fuerza to build networks early in the student experience, and promotes Latinx Heritage Month to educate and celebrate with the Penn campus at large. Major sponsored projects—co-produced with student groups—include the March of Flags and La Vida Magazine, a student run magazine.  

Two young women in traditional day of the dead clothing stand in front of a day of the dead altar.

La Casa Latina celebrates Día de los Muertos at the Penn Museum. 

La Casa Latina’s Goals include: 

  • Collaborate with the Latinx Coalition to create programs that represent the rich diversity of the Latinx Community and reflect the artistic, academic, cultural, and social aspects of all Latinx at Penn. 
  • Establish new resources, programs, and services to attract new Latinx members of the community to La Casa Latina. 
  • Establish new programs and services to better serve first-year Latinx students in their transition to college and integration at Penn. 
  • Increase the community’s awareness and utilization of its services through outreach programs.