Background and Celebration

Latino Student Union (LSU) was founded in 2006 by former counselor-turned-assistant principal Perla Pasallo and Leticia Tochihuitl ‘07 to bring together the growing Latino population of Mountain View and Los Altos. 

Pasallo initially worked at Los Altos High as a counselor and LSU adviser and then worked as an Assistant Principal until 2022 when she retired.

“Ms. Pasallo was a fierce advocate for all her students — particularly Latino students,” LSU alumna and current math teacher Glenda Vargas ‘13 said. “She was strict but loving.” 

Shortly after Pasallo’s departure, co-adviser and school counselor Ariel Rojas stepped in as the main LSU adviser, a role he holds to this day.

“We originally began to bring Latino students together,” Rojas said. “We helped them find a place where they could share their cultures and create community.”

LSU is currently one of the largest and most active student clubs on campus, with about 100 members in a given year, according to Rojas. 

“When I think about LSU, I don’t think about it as a club — I think about it as an organization,” Rojas said.

LSU holds annual events such as a schoolwide soccer tournament, a Día de los Muertos lunch celebration and the Latino Academic Achievement Awards. 

“We’re a tight-knit group,” Vice President senior Marvin Lopez Garcia said. “Our members consistently help each other and create a welcoming community.” 

According to Vargas, as well as English teacher and LSU alumna Perla Luna ‘15, LSU had a formative influence on their lives. 

Vargas, a former LSU secretary, vice president and president, recalled being the only Hispanic student in many of her AP and Honors classes. 

“Finding where I belonged on campus took me a while,” Vargas said. “It was through AVID and LSU where I really felt like I was at home.”

Vargas still keeps her officer uniform in the back of her closet. 

“Being an officer strengthened my leadership skills and made me appreciate helping my community,” said Luna, who also served as an LSU secretary. “As a teacher now, that’s something I value.”

Supporting the LAHS community

Throughout the years, LSU has uplifted not only Latino students, but the LAHS community at large through interactive schoolwide events.

The most colorful of these annual events is their October Día de los Muertos celebration. This year, festivities included piñata hitting and face painting during lunch. Last year, they hosted an afterschool celebration, sharing Latino delicacies such as mole, arroz rojo, enchiladas and conchas. The celebration also featured an altar to honor deceased loved ones, and a self-choreographed performance by LSU Dance inspired by a traditional Mexican folk dance called “La Bruja.” 

“Dancing helps us express our cultures to the rest of the school,” Choreographer sophomore Leilani Montano-Ayon said. “Having a dance team in LSU also helps bring the community together in a way that is fun and relaxing.”

“Some people come into our dance group not knowing anything,” Choreographer sophomore Ashley Chirinos Fitz said. “But they come out having learned a lot, and they’re able to proudly present their culture to the school.”

Another popular schoolwide event LSU hosts is their annual Champions League tournament. Started three years ago, the lunchtime soccer competition is open to all students. 

“The tournament really brings the school together through their love of soccer,” LSU President senior Manny Contreras said. “Seeing everyone’s emotions and excitement over playing or watching the games shows just how soccer unites us.”

This year, LSU also took the lead in organizing the school’s annual coat drive. Alongside the school’s Black, Filipino, Taiwanese and Jewish student unions, LSU collected coats from the community to donate to LAHS families in need for the winter months. 

“I think everybody has one thing in common: they don’t want to see other people suffer,” Manny said. “With the coat drive, LSU was a middleman who helped people clear out their closet space to keep families warm in the cold winter.”

LUCHA

Latinos Unidos Caminando Hacia Adelante (United Latinos Walking Forward) or LUCHA is LSU’s affiliate club for parents run by LAHS administration. It aims to provide Latino parents with community and access to resources.

Created in the 2011–12 school year, LUCHA hosts monthly meetings on a range of topics including FAFSA and mental health, as well as community-oriented events like their annual holiday feast. 

“Many parents are new to the country, don’t speak English or may not know how to work with computers,” Rojas said. “LUCHA helps them understand the college process and high school graduation pathway.”

LUCHA assists more than 300 Latino families annually, and 30 to 40 monthly, Rojas said. According to Rojas, a school-issued survey found that 80% of parents utilizing LUCHA reported an increased understanding of the school system. Additionally, 75% reported increased confidence advocating for their student and there is a 85% satisfaction rate for workshops and events.

While LUCHA is primarily run by LAHS administration who invite outside parties to meet with parents, LSU members volunteer at each meeting. 

“LSU and LUCHA are very intertwined,” Counselor Jacob Larin said. “There are definitely events that are geared towards parents or students, but very often, both parties are in the same space and work with each other.”

Junior Paola Mercado said she is grateful for LUCHA’s impact on her school experience. According to Paola, her mother was unaware of certain resources and information — such as course options — until LUCHA provided her with support.

“LUCHA helps create a community where students and parents can feel safe, supported and proud of who they are,” Paola said.

“A lot of Latino students don’t have help at home — such as when a parent works two jobs, works at night or hasn’t gone to college,” Rojas said. “We try to bridge that gap.” 

To assist this year’s seniors in the college application process, LUCHA hosted a FAFSA information night on Jan. 15 where Larin invited Foothill College’s outreach and financial aid team to the Student Union. Foothill Student Success Specialist Adiel Velasquez helped students and parents fill out FAFSA applications.

“If we can eliminate the barrier of financial strain, students can focus all of their attention on passing classes, having a 4.0 GPA and doing extracurriculars,” Velasquez said.

“LUCHA has grown the services it provides because we always try to make our meetings reflective of what the parents need,” Larin said. “Every meeting isn’t going to be the same, and every year is different based on the number of people who attend meetings and what is going on in the community.”

With LUCHA and LSU’s support, both students and families have flourished. 

LSU Community Support Against ICE

As President Donald Trump began threatening to deploy Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents into major U.S. cities last year, fear of ICE started spreading across the LAHS community. 

“We saw a lot of ICE propaganda going around and saw that the community was scared,” Manny said. “We decided providing information for students and parents on what to do in case something happened to them would be good.”

LSU, Principal Tracey Runeare and Rojas hosted an information session for students in February 2025 on what to do if ICE were in the area.

“People are worried when going to school because they don’t know what will happen,” sophomore Monserrat Gonzalez Rojas said. “LSU makes them feel supported and gives them a safe space.”

“Especially right now with everything that’s happening in our communities, having a group that you can rely on and be informed by uplifts everyone,” Leilani said.

LSU continues offering support to parents and students about ICE; students may talk to their counselor or Rojas if they are currently concerned about the safety of themselves, family or friends, or need any advice and support.