Professor Suzette Meléndez was featured in Syracuse University’s Latine Heritage Month story, “Latine Voices Shape Campus Culture.” Her work in family law, domestic violence law, and the delivery of legal services to women and children have helped put the University on the multicultural map while giving a voice to marginalized communities.
Meléndez insists that the U.S. Latine community is a mosaic, not a monolith. “We must learn to appreciate the multiple representations of how we live and what we contribute,” says Meléndez, who recently concluded a faculty fellowship in the Office of the Associate Provost for Strategic Initiatives and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.
A common thread of her work is the interplay between law and familia. “Family is a tremendous influencer, supporter, teacher and builder of community in Latine cultures,” Meléndez says. “Family law illustrates how parenting and familial bonding across cultures is complex, nuanced and emblematic of the human experience.”