UCF Celebrates Hispanic Latinx Heritage Month Posted Tuesday, October 12, 2021 @ 3:58 PM Alexandra Laguna is a proud Peruvian-American keeping in touch with her roots by speaking Spanish, eating/cooking Peruvian Food and celebrating the holidays Peruvian-style. Laguna says her favorite traditional Peruvian meals would have to be Lomo Saltado and Tallarin Saltado, stating “I particularly enjoy Tallarin Saltado because it is a fusion of Chinese-Peruvian food!”. One fun fact about Peru that Laguna finds “very fun to think about,” is that Peru has 55 different variations of corn. She notices that “often times within our traditional meals/drinks, we use different types of corn! For example, my father will use Maiz Morado to make Chicha Morada and typical Peruvian corn to go along as a side to Ceviche!” In her professional development, Laguna attributes her Hispanic heritage for allowing her to better communicate with those around her due to being bilingual. She has found this especially helpful because it allows her to stand out and share her wealth of knowledge about her culture with others. Moreover, her heritage allows her to feel a sense of community when meeting another Hispanic/Spanish speaker. She states that there is an unexplainable sense of familiarity, brought together by their culture – even if they have different nationalities. This sense of connectivity makes her aware of the different realities immigrants and first-generation citizens face in the U.S. “My father was forced to escape Peru and immigrate to the United States after extreme political conflict and personal safety issues. In this, my father told me all about what drove him to the United States and how he worked his way to achieve a future in a new country,” Laguna adds. Around campus, Laguna is involved in several organizations. Primarily, she serves as the VP of the Tri-Alpha Honor Society, an honor society for first-generation students at UC). She also works as the current Blog Manager for The Women’s Network (an upcoming RSO at UCF) and as a copyeditor for Strike Magazine. Apart from this, she has also joined the Improv Club on campus and has loved the experience so far! The next time you’re in the mood for Peruvian food, make sure to check out the vast options of corn and even try Alexandra’s favorite dish. Don’t forget to order ceviche — you will not be disappointed! Back