The U.S. Latinx Symposium at Harvard Kennedy School, held on April 24, marked a significant step toward more fully representing Latinx experiences and leadership in the public policy sphere.
At a time when the Latinx population in the United States is growing, student leaders seized an opportunity to create space at HKS to engage in conversations about real-world issues, bringing together Latinx leaders from across the country to address policy issues and inequality within the community.
In this Q&A, two of the symposium’s organizers, Adam Delgado MC/MPA 2026 and Ivan Melchor MPP 2027, explain why they created the symposium now, how HKS shaped their approach, and the one idea they hope participants will not forget.
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What inspired you to launch the U.S. Latinx Policy Symposium, and why now?
A policy symposium is a powerful way to bring the community together to discuss important issues and make connections. After nearly a decade of no symposium or conference dedicated to discuss policy issues affecting the Latinx community, we felt this year was particularly important given the dehumanization and constant attacks on the Latinx community by the current federal administration. We are a diverse group with many political leanings, ideas, and opinions, but we stand together against hatred directed at our community.
What misconceptions do people commonly have about this area, and how does the U.S. Latinx Policy Symposium address them?
People often assume that the Latinx population in the United States votes and thinks as a monolith, though there’s a growing recognition that this isn’t the case. We aimed to reflect that diversity by bringing in speakers from across the country. Our panel included voices representing different regions, including Arizona, California, Florida, Kansas, Massachusetts, New York, and Texas.
You structured the day around bringing together the broader community to examine key policy issues impacting Latinx communities. How did you land on this theme?
We wanted to create a theme that would unite a diverse group of people at different stages of their careers. The theme of “Leadership and Service After HKS” was an opportunity to invite practitioners—all of whom were HKS alumni—to share about the challenges they have faced and observed, particularly in the last year.
This gathering also marks the official opening of the HLAA-HKS Hub. What does this launch mean to you and for the broader HKS community?
As we planned this symposium, we listened to HKS alumni and students discuss ways we could build community and connect with the global Harvard community. We partnered with the Harvard Latino Alumni Alliance (HLAA) and the Office of Alumni Relations to officially launch the first HLAA hub at HKS, which will connect HKS Latine alumni worldwide, strengthen relationships within the HKS community, and engage more seamlessly with alumni across all Harvard University degree-granting schools. We are thrilled to launch this hub and grateful for HLAA support to create this new space for our community.
How did your time at HKS shape your understanding of policies impacting Latinx communities and your sense of responsibility to act on them?
We believe Harvard Kennedy School should be more intentional in how it engages with issues affecting the Latinx population. This community is growing faster than the overall U.S. population and is projected to reach nearly 100 million by 2050. It is diverse and warrants a more nuanced, sustained focus. That gap in attention is part of what motivated us to join the planning committee for the symposium, and it underscores the responsibility that we, and others, in our community carry after graduation to elevate these perspectives moving forward.
If participants remember only one idea from the U.S. Latinx Policy Symposium, what do you hope it is?
Creating spaces for Latinx policymakers and community members to gather is just the first step. It is just as important to continue to center the challenges and experiences of members of our community as we navigate careers in public service.
Photos courtesy of Allyson Parco
