¡Wepa, familia!
We did it. We actually did it. SOAR is over. We're standing, hearts full, feeling something that's hard to put into words but impossible to ignore. This one is for you. All of you.
Despierta Boricua reached its fundraising goal. And while the campaign numbers matter — we're not going to pretend they don't — what moved us most wasn't the total. It was the who. Alumni we hadn't heard from in years. Parents. Friends of friends who found us through a share, a post, a text from someone who said "you have to see what these students are doing." You showed up, and that means everything.
"Your support was more than financial. It was a vote of confidence in what we're building and in who we are."
— La Directiva 2026 ✊🏽
(A.K.A. your hardworking, slightly caffeinated, always proud board)
Because of your generosity, we are moving forward with one of the most ambitious things we've ever attempted: closing the streets for Calle Corona.
CALLE CORONA
SanSe llegó al Norte
We're bringing Las Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastián to New Haven. Blocking off High Street and Crown Street. Bomba. Salsa. Flea market. Food trucks. Live performances. Local vendors. Yale meets New Haven — the way it should be.
This is about more than celebration. It's about inviting both communities together, letting our presence be known, and closing the gap between students at the university and those in New Haven. Puerto Rico's most beloved festival, brought to Connecticut. This one's for all of us.
It's hard to fully describe the feeling, not just that we reached our goal, but that so many of you chose to believe in us. That matters in a way that numbers can't capture.
During the campaign, we released a video to support our SOAR fundraising push highlighting Despierta Boricua, the work we've been building, and why it matters. The response exceeded anything we expected. Engagement across our platforms surged, we surpassed 1,000 followers, and alumni began reaching out directly — offering mentorship, collaboration, and support that extends far beyond donations. That was all you. Thank you.
These are the people who believed before the train left the station. Because of them, the tracks are laid.
We were thrilled to have partnered with YCC to host the largest event Despierta Boricua has organized to date: a Super Bowl watch celebration that brought together over 400 people. The room was filled with music, dancing, and joy as we watched a historic performance by Benito. With our instruments, we were the loudest ones in the room. Obvio.
But this gathering was a cultural moment. A Spanish-language performance, rooted in Puerto Rican history and identity, took center stage on one of the most visible platforms in the country. It reminded us that success does not require erasure, that English is not the only language of value, and that Latino communities are creators of culture. America is a continent. A continent of proud Latinos who cannot be ignored.
As DB co-president Antonio Padilla shared during the event: celebration and awareness must coexist. While we recognized this moment as a collective win, we also acknowledged the realities facing our communities, including fear surrounding immigration enforcement. For many, speaking up carries risk. Using this space to affirm dignity and solidarity was part of what made the evening meaningful. Culture, after all, is inseparable from the lives of the people who create it.
Events like this reflect what DB stands for: building spaces where joy, community, and consciousness can exist together. We are deeply proud of our community — of the resilience, creativity, and love that filled the room that night.
A Valentine's Day party dedicated to Black and Brown queerness and femininity — and one of the largest parties we've had all year.
For these communities, the dancefloor was more than a party; it became a space of expression, safety, and liberation. The music was a way of expressing and finding romance, however hot or mild it may be. This dancefloor held everything: techno, house, freestyle, jersey club, reggaetón, dembow. Not the old story of these genres as background noise — but the new one, with the artists who are rewriting what that music means. Ivy Queen. Young Miko. Karol G. Ice Spice. Tokischa. Strong, queer, femme, unapologetic. The room felt it.
St. Anthony Hall gave us the ballroom and the bar and we came with the rest. The drinks menu was curated for the occasion:
And of course, the glow sticks. Blue/Purple for single. Green for taken. And yellow for... complicated.
The energy was high and the turnout brought new faces! This night only happened because four organizations showed up together: DB, MEChA, De Colores, and Blackout. Solidarity sometimes is a dancefloor on Valentine's night with glow sticks and sangria.
