From Celebrating Culture to Defending It: UAlbany’s Mexican Student Club turns to Activism

By Mia Costa | November 3, 2025

Members of UAlbany’s Mexican Student Association (MEXA) attending the recent ‘No Kings’ Protest in Albany. 

Photo Credit: MEXA President Aaron Paredes

After years of celebrating Mexican culture through art, food, dance, music, and more, University at Albany’s Mexican Student Association (MEXA) has begun shifting its attention to activism, joining the No Kings Protest and hosting an “Identifying Law Enforcement” informational.

MEXA President Aaron Paredes and Secretary Lodwin Luna said the change reflects a growing awareness of the challenges Mexican and Hispanic communities face in the United States. 

Challenges such as racial and linguistic profiling often leave Mexican and Hispanic students feeling misunderstood and unsafe, MEXA leaders said. 

Luna said many MEXA members fear they and their families could be targeted for their skin color or accent amid the Trump administration’s unprecedented immigration policies, which have led to the deportation and detainment of U.S. citizens and immigrants with and without proper documentation. 

These concerns inspired MEXA to host the “Identifying Law Enforcement” informational, which taught students how to recognize and safely report police and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in New York.

On Instagram, MEXA described the informational’s purpose as a response to “fascism, state violence, and kidnappings across the state,” saying it was a chance to recommit themselves as “community defenders.”

Government officials are noticing a rise in ICE activity in New York as well. In the wake of ICE’s raid on Canal Street in New York City, a street known as a selling ground for counterfeit purses, clothing, watches, and more, New York Attorney General Letitia James is encouraging New Yorkers to “submit videos or other documentation of federal immigration enforcement actions in New York,” via the Attorney General’s official website.

In addition to educating students on defending themselves and their community members, MEXA marked their first protest by participating in the nationwide October 18 No Kings Protest. 

The No Kings Protest messaging is made clear on their website: “No Thrones. No Crowns. No Kings.” With over 2,700 events in all 50 states, their goal is to peacefully push back the Trump administration. MEXA members are not the only people in support of this cause. Between the first No Kings Protest on June 14, 2025, and the most recent October 18 protest, there were over 7 million attendees.

“In our club, there’s a lot of students that come from backgrounds where their families face issues with immigration,” Paredes said. “A protest like this brings awareness to people from those situations.”

Participation was initially suggested by Programming Chair Melissa Rosas in an Executive Board meeting, and all 16 E-Board members unanimously agreed to attend the protest.

Founded in 2019, MEXA went through a short period of inactivity before Luna, among other members, revived it in Fall 2024. Now, over a year later, Paredes and Luna say they could not be prouder of the community they have built. 

“I’m able to talk to these people like they are my friends from back home,” Luna said. “To see how much we’ve grown from last year…I really hold it close to my heart.”

For MEXA’s more than 100 members, the club has become more than just a student organization — it’s family. Luna is very pleased with the traction the club has gained since its revival. He wants people to know that Mexicans offer more than just incredible food, they offer a welcoming community for all.

That sense of unity has become even more important in light of recent incidents with ICE across the United States, but specifically in the hometowns of MEXA leaders, who say they’ve noticed a rise in racial and linguistic profiling by ICE.

“We feel like our community is being targeted,” Luna said. 

Although both leaders feel safe at UAlbany, they worry about their families back home, a concern shared by many Hispanic students on campus.

Paredes and Luna both know students personally affected by the Trump administration’s attack on undocumented immigrants. “They don’t want to speak out about it,” Luna said, noting that many UAlbany students feel ashamed or afraid to speak up.

Both leaders said they feel grateful to be able to speak their minds freely, a privilege they don’t take for granted. “Especially here, in the United States, where we’re meant to express our voices,” Paredes said. “It’s a great opportunity for young students, like ourselves, to do those kinds of things, and show other students that it’s okay to spread awareness.”

“We definitely see ourselves participating more in these events,” Paredes said. 

For MEXA’s leaders, the shift is about more than politics; it’s rooted in love for their community. By combining their passion for Mexican culture with activism, they hope to use their platform to protect, celebrate, and represent their community.