Jay Miranda (G’25) Reflects on Hispanic Heritage Month

The Graduate School joins the nation in celebrating and honoring Latine and Hispanic history, culture and achievements during Hispanic Heritage Month.

We invite you to read the story of Jay Miranda. He will earn a Master of Arts in international migration and refugees in 2025. Miranda shares his story as it relates to the themes of family, advocacy and a life of service.

What brought you to Georgetown?

Growing up in a tough neighborhood in San Francisco as a Honduran immigrant and raised by a single grandmother, college was something that seemed unattainable to me. During my high school years, my goal was to survive and help my grandmother. After graduating from high school at 17, I served my community for the next decade through youth mentorship programs and gang intervention initiatives for immigrant and refugee communities. I didn’t obtain my bachelor’s until I was 32. As a nontraditional student who spent many years in community college, night classes and online classes, I finally obtained my Bachelor of Public Administration from National University.

Before coming to Georgetown, I launched youth mentorship programs in Chiapas, Mexico, and life skills programs for youth in Dallas, Texas. Earlier this year, I researched graduate programs offered by Georgetown’s Walsh School of Foreign Service. The new degree in international migration and refugee studies caught my attention. I applied, thinking, “There’s no way a nontraditional student like me, the first person in his family to go to college, could ever get into a school like that.” Surprisingly enough, I was accepted and am now living my dream as a graduate student at Georgetown.

What does Hispanic Heritage Month mean to you, and why?

Latinx culture, to me, brings up the image of a village raising a child. We are hard-working people who always make space for others at our table. We are loyal, fun, extravagant, innovative, family-centered, justice-minded and so much more. There is not one box you can fit us all into because our experience as Latinx individuals comes in all colors, backgrounds, socio-economic statuses, and even native dialects and languages.

Hispanic Heritage Month is essential because it is a time when we can focus on and celebrate our distinct customs and traditions from over 30 countries in Latin America that have come together in a fantastic stew that we call the American dream. So many Latinx serve as the backbone of the industries that help to propel our country forward, yet remain in the shadows of our society. This is a month where we can say “I see you” to all of those who are often unseen and bring more awareness to the Latinx experience in America.

What is your favorite tradition within the Latinx community, and why?

My favorite traditions in the Latinx community are Quinceañeras and Christmas Posadas because they allow us to do one of the things that we love most, and that is to be together and celebrate as a familia. 

What makes you most proud to be a member of the Latino community?

The individuals who have worked so hard, so that their ceiling could be my floor/foundation. All of those fathers, abuelas, mothers, tías, pastors, and community members who fight to empower their families and local communities.  

How can people show solidarity during this month and beyond?

People can show solidarity during this month by serving at a nonprofit in a local Latinx community, or speaking to a friend or colleague of Latinx descent asking them about their story to better understand the lens through which they view the world.

We are much more than Cinco de Mayo and tacos, yet sometimes that is all many know about the Latino community. 

What’s your favorite movie or novel that celebrates the Hispanic community?

My favorite movie is Mi Familia (My Family) with Edward James Olmos because it narrates a vivid and complex story of a Mexican American family who fought hard to make a better life for themselves and those around them. Of course, Selena is also at the top of my list.

My favorite book is The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros because it takes me back to my childhood.