How Casa Joaquin Murrieta helps people of color on Berkeley’s campus

Originally founded as a cooperative household in 1969 for Chicano/Latino students, Casa Joaquin Murrieta, named after the infamous Gold Rush Bandit of the 19th century, currently serves as an institution of love, leadership, and empowerment for students of color on UC Berkeley’s campus. During its founding, Casa Joaquin Murrieta was a space for leaders connected to the Third World Liberation Front pushing for equal opportunities and resources for students of color. The house served as a forum for political discussion and as a refuge for passerbys and friends of the house. As a Pilipin@ womxn of color I was seeking  to live in a place where I can embrace my identity with a safe and respectful community. Living in Casa Joaquin Murrieta provided me with this opportunity to bond with other socially conscious leaders on campus.

Casa Joaquin Murrieta is partnered with The Greenlining Institute, a non-profit providing resources and mentorship to those living in the house. Each week our house puts on workshops on topics ranging from mental health and nutrition to meditation and resume building. The goal of these workshops is to allow students in the house to have access to on and off campus resources and to gain professional development skills. Attending these workshops each week as part of my agreement for living in the house along with my weekly chore teaches me accountability and the importance of community. Our house manager, Chagan, focuses on cultivating an inclusive space for students in the house and is a mentor and a friend to many ‘Casistas’ living here.

Casistas are paving paths for students of color on UC Berkeley’s campus! If you’re looking for housing this summer or next school year, this is an amazing place to live during your years at Cal. There are so many qualities I admire in my fellow Casistas — here are the three biggest ones.

They are powerful

They inspire me each and every day to strive for greatness. Most students living in the house are first generation college students who come from backgrounds of hard work and resilience.

They are driven

They speak of stories of sacrifice and gratitude for their chance to be at UC Berkeley. They are all pursuing a range of passions from business to law to medicine. We all desire to build a world where people of color can lead our sectors across the nation and to inspire our younger brothers and sisters to do the same.

They have soul

When they aren’t cracking open their books they are embracing their cultural roots through art, song, and dance. From my housemates in the mariachi band to my roommates and I who use our tongues to spill out colorful spoken word, we are always craving to tell our stories. The stories typically erased by institutions of power that want to silence and marginalize us for our abilities.

Casa Joaquin always reminds me that the work I do matters and that I can always come home to a community that values who I am. We may all come from different backgrounds, but we are all always willing to support each other and acknowledge our worth as we navigate through this precarious time in our lives. When my roommates aren’t tutoring me in Spanish or giving me dating advice, we are dreaming about our futures. We are always encouraging each other to challenge ourselves to be more empathetic, thoughtful, and critical as we encounter new people and new experiences in our lives. They remind me to stay humble and hungry for success and, most importantly, to never forget my roots.

My lovely roommates and I — Hermosas de Casa Joaquin