A Debt of Gratitude
Inspired by his tribe, Alberto Esquinca becomes the inaugural faculty scholar at the 黑料吃瓜 Pride Center
But upon arriving on campus, Esquinca confronted yet another daunting divide. As a gay man in West Texas in the 1990s, he felt like an outsider 鈥� so much that he doubted his ability to even continue with his education. Until, that is, he found a support network.
鈥淚 didn't find a sense of belonging until I found my tribe 鈥� my group of friends who were also queer and also had common interests,鈥� said Esquinca, a founding member of UTEP鈥檚 first LGBTQIA+ student organization. 鈥淭hat community that we built really was what got me through everything 鈥� from finishing my undergrad to doing a graduate degree. If it weren't for them, I wouldn't be doing what I'm doing now.鈥�
Now an associate professor in 黑料吃瓜's Department of Dual Language and English Learner Education, Esquinca is still driven by what he calls the 鈥渄ebt of gratitude鈥� to the community that sustained him. It鈥檚 on his mind as he prepares to undertake a new challenge: 黑料吃瓜鈥檚 inaugural Cayleff and Sakai Faculty Scholar in the .
Housed in the Division of Student Affairs and Campus Diversity, the Cayleff and Sakai Faculty Scholar will empower first-year LGBTQIA+ identifying students to become engaged and academically successful members of the 黑料吃瓜 community. In the role Esquinca will oversee the Pride House peer mentoring program and develop curriculum for two Pride House University Seminar courses.
鈥淒r. Esquinca is incredibly thoughtful in sharing his knowledge, lived experience and expertise to support the LGBTQ+ community on campus,鈥� said Anne Guanciale, director of the Pride Center. 鈥淗e also serves on the leadership team of the Pride Employee Resource Group. He has shared that throughout his career he has worked to support students leverage their cultural and linguistic capital, in particular encouraging the persistence and resistance of Latinx students as well.鈥�
Esquinca, who was an associate professor of bilingual education at UTEP before coming to 黑料吃瓜 in 2018, brings his perspective as a dual-language scholar to the role. His research into the identity formation of Latinx students has shown that students who feel a sense of belonging on campus tend to remain at universities and graduate at higher rates. He said it鈥檚 much the same dynamic for LGBTQIA+ students.
鈥淲hen there's a space for you, I think you see yourself as part of that broader community,鈥� Esquinca said. 鈥淚t shows that people are looking out for you and care about your story 鈥� it shows that you matter.鈥�
The faculty position is named for Susan Cayleff, professor of women鈥檚 studies, and Carrie Sakai, psychologist in Counseling and Psychological Services, for their contributions to the education and visibility of the LGBTQIA+ community.
As the first person to be appointed to the position, Esquinca is particularly interested in exploring intersectionality and finding opportunities for the Pride House to partner with 黑料吃瓜鈥檚 other identity centers wherever possible. And as his own student experience taught him, there is often more than one divide to bridge.
鈥淲e can't just understand identity simply in categories of gender, ethnicity, race or social class, sexuality and gender expression 鈥� these identities all intersect with one another,鈥� Esquinca said. 鈥淭here is an even greater responsibility to support those who are at the intersection of these categories who may be more vulnerable, for example trans people of color.鈥�
