El Centro - Fall 2024

We encourage you all to pick up one of these wonderful POC texts!

Let’s learn, grow, and

ON THE COVER

heal together.

- El equipo del CLR/LALS

Vampiros en El Norte by Isabel Cañas (2023) Liliana’s Invincible Summer: A Sister’s Search for Justice

by Cristina Rivera Garza (2023) Woman Without Shame: Poems by Sandra Cisneros (2022) The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio (2020) Catalina by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio (2024) My Book of the Dead by Ana Castillo (2021) Apostles of Change: Latino Radical Politics, Church Occupations, and the Fight to Save the Barrio by Felipe Hinojosa (2021) The Stories Whiteness Tells Itself: Racial Myths and Our American Narratives by David Mura (2023) A Cup of Water Under My Bed: A Memoir by Daisy Hernández (2014) Colonize This! Young Women of Color on Today’s Feminism by Daisy Hernández (Editor) & Bushra Rehman (Editor) (2002)

IN THIS ISSUE...

3

About | Center for Latino Research and Latin American and Latino Studies

20

Punto De Vista: A Latinx Podcast at DePaul - ANNOUNCEMENT

4

Letters from the CLR Director & LALS Chair

21

2024-2025 CLR Faculty Fellows

5

CLR Advisory Committee and LALS Faculty

2024 - 2025 CLR Faculty Fellows Spotlight: Dr. Jordan Levy

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22

Faculty & Staff Announcements

25

CLR/LALS External Advisory Board Members

9

LALS Spotlight: Dr. Miguel Ángel Castañeda

12

26

CLR/LALS External Advisory Board Members' Spotlight: Dr. Marisol Morales

Dolores Huerta - Hispanic Heritage Event

29

Rudy Lozano Library Celebration - EVENT RECAP

13

2024 STRC Summer Institute RECAP

30

Latinos Empowered at DePaul (LEAD)

15

STRC Updates

31

LALS Course Schedule - Winter 2025

16

STRC Annual Fall Symposium Announcement

32

Latinx Film Series

17

Preview & Discussion of The Young Lords of Lincoln Park

18

New Issue of Diálogo: Volume 25, Issue 1

19

Latinx Studies Now! - EVENT RECAP

33 34 35

A Reading and Conversation with author Daisy Hernández - Colonize this!

Latinx Book Club: A Cup of Water Under My Bed: A Memoir by Daisy Hernandez Contact Us

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CLR MISSION STATEMENT

The Center for Latino Research (CLR) strives to open and sustain dialogues which foster the empowerment and advancement of Latinx communities. To that end, the CLR creates learning opportunities for students and supports scholars in their research, while forging collaborative relationships with local, national, and international research partners. We also publish an award-winning scholarly journal, Diálogo, and sponsor many activities on campus, including film series and speaker series.​

ABOUT

LATIN AMERICAN & LATINO STUDIES The Department of Latin American and Latino Studies (LALS) explores the myriad contributions of Latin Americans and Latinx people to the global community. The department’s programs emphasize the profound linkages that have emerged between Latin America and the United States, particularly through the construction of Latinx communities in the U.S. We also critically analyze the complex intersections with Indigenous, African, European, Semitic, Arab, and Asian communities throughout the Americas.​

Edited and Designed by:

Published by:

Gigi Lara Yamitza A. Yuivar Villarreal

The Center for Latino Research and The Department of Latin American and Latino Studies at DePaul University

4

Letters from the CLR DIRECTOR & LALS CHAIR Estimades Lectores, As we begin a brand new school year, we are always excited to see familiar faces again and especially to welcome new members to our team. This fall, we are thrilled to have Emilio Díaz join us as our new LALS/CLR Department Assistant. Emilio is also pursuing a graduate degree in Digital Communication and Media Arts. When you get a chance, please come by our offices and help us welcome Emilio!

This autumn is packed with events at the CLR: We have partnered with local PBS station WTTW for a panel discussion and sneak-preview of their new documentary, The Young Lords of Lincoln Park on Oct. 3rd. The documentary features our colleague Jacqui Lazú and former STRC graduate fellow Paul Mireles.

Author Daisy Hernández will be giving two presentations on Oct. 8th -- an afternoon talk about her memoir A Cup of Water Under my Bed, and an evening talk about her pathbreaking feminist anthology Colonize This!, Finally, on Oct. 22nd, the Social Transformation Research Collaborative (STRC) will be hosting its third annual symposium on the theme, “Writing, Race, and Memory.” Our STRC faculty, postdoctoral, and student fellows will be joined at the day-long event by guest speakers Beverly Jenkins, Carole Bell, Karla Cornejo Villavicencio, and David Mura.

While you enjoy Latine/x Heritage Month, please feel free to drop by our free weekly screenings of Latinx Film Classics (see the flyer in this issue for dates and times) – we’re showing everything from AbUSed: The Postville Raid to Zoot Suit! Enjoy your fall, and as always, don’t hesitate to let us know how the CLR can help you.

Letter from the CLR Director

- Bill Johnson Gonzalez

Hola lectores, As incoming chair of the Department for Latin American and Latino Studies, I am happy to welcome you to this new academic year. Carolina Sternberg, deserves our gratitude for her unwavering devotion to the department over the last six years and I look forward to building on her great work to enhance the department, grow our curriculum, and work with our colleagues to enrich students’ education at DePaul via our classes and programming.

In that regard I am happy welcome our new colleague, Miguel Angel Castañeda to our LALS family. As you will read in this issue, Miguel, an historian of student movements and scholar of relational Chicana/o studies, is teaching some of our core courses this year, and promises to engage with our students in innovative ways.

As chair, I also look forward to working more closely with the LALS/CLR external advisory board, so I am also glad to see one of board’s members, Marisol Morales, featured in this issue. As you will read, Marisol earned from bachelor’s at DePaul with a degree in Latin American and Latino Studies. It is so rewarding to see our graduates go on and do amazing things with their lives and return to DePaul to support our work!

Letter from the LALS Chair

¡Espero verlos en algunos de nuestros eventos este trimestre!

LT

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CLR ADVISORY COMMITTEE Marisa Alicea, Professor, Vincent DePaul Professor School of Continuing and Professional Studies

Jacqueline Lazú, Associate Professor, Vincent DePaul Professor | Modern Languages

Carolina Barrera Tobón, Associate Professor Modern Languages

Jesús Pando, Associate Professor, Chair Physics and Astrophysics, College of Science and Health

Ionit Behar, Curator | DePaul Art Museum

José Perales, Interim Vice President Office of Institutional Diversity and Equity

Martha Martinez-Firestone, Associate Professor and Director of Undergraduate Program | Sociology Julie Moody-Freeman, Associate Professor, African and Black Diaspora Studies | Director, Center for Black Diaspora

Carolina Sternberg, Associate Professor, Chair Latin American and Latino Studies Joe R. Tafoya, Assistant Professor | Political Science

LALS FACULTY Core Faculty Lourdes Torres, Vincent DePaul Professor, Chair Latin American and Latino Studies

Jesse Mumm, Professional Lecturer Latin American and Latino Studies

Carolina Sternberg, Associate Professor Latin American and Latino Studies

Miguel Ángel Castañeda, Social Transformation Research Collaborative (STRC) Post-Doctoral Fellow | Latin American and Latino Studies

Yoalli Rodriguez Aguilera, Assistant Professor Latin American and Latino Studies

Affiliated Faculty Marisa Alicea, Professor, Vincent DePaul Professor School of Continuing and Professional Studies

Juan Mora-Torres, Associate Professor History

Luisela Alvaray, Associate Professor Media and Cinema Studies

Heather Montes-Ireland, Assistant Professor Women's and Gender Studies

Glen Carman, Associate Professor Modern Languages

Vincent Peña, Assistant Professor Journalism and Sports Communication, College of Communication

Delia Cosentino, Professor History of Art and Architecture

Xavier Perez, Assistant Professor Criminology

Rocío Ferreira, Associate Professor Modern Languages Department Chair, Women's and Gender Studies

Monica Reyes, Assistant Professor Writing, Rhetoric and Discourse

Bill Johnson González, Associate Professor, English Director, Center for Latino Research

Ana Schaposchnik, Associate Professor History

Jacqueline Lazú, Associate Professor, Vincent DePaul Professor Modern Languages

Jose Soltero, Professor Sociology

Jordan Levy, Assistant Professor Anthropology

Sonia Soltero, Professor, Chair Leadership, Language and Curriculum, College of Communication

Martha Martinez-Firestone, Associate Professor, Sociology Director, Undergraduate Sociology Program

Rose J. Spalding, Professor, Vincent DePaul Professor Political Science

Susana S. Martínez, Associate Professor, Modern Languages Director, Peace, Justice & Conflict Studies Program

Joe R. Tafoya, Assistant Professor Political Science

Elizabeth Millán, Professor, Chair Philosophy

Faculty & Staff Announcements XAVIER PEREZ In the Spring, Dr. Xavier Perez co-edited and authored a volume of Palgrave's Critical Policing Studies that explores the role of police in Latin America. The volume is titled “Police and State Crime in the Americas: Southern and Postcolonial Perspectives.” The text introduces a necessary “postcolonial” analysis of police in the Western world.

The following quote is an excerpt from the Abstract: “It seeks to understand the construction of marginality and the multiple and intersecting structures of colonial domination, before shining a light directly on the crimes of the state, in an attempt to hold criminal state organizations to account. It draws on interdisciplinary perspectives and methodologies that center marginalized and colonized experiences and allows for the development of counter-colonial knowledge.”

HEATHER MONTES-IRELAND Dr. Montes Ireland is happy to announce that she was awarded tenure and promotion to Associate Professor as of July 1, 2024.

This summer, she presented her paper, "Reclaiming the Fragmented Self: Autohistoria-Teoría and Chicana/Latina Feminist Approaches to Self-writing," along with WRD colleagues at the 3rd Conference on Writing through the Lifespan.

Her review essay on the films Entre Nos and Lucky as key cultural texts in Latina studies was published in issue 12.2 of the open-access journal, Films for the Feminist Classroom. This publication was supported by her 2022-23 CLR fellowship.

CAROLINA STERNBERG Dr. Carolina Sternberg is thrilled to share her promotion to Full Professor of Latin American and Latino Studies (LALS). Additionally, she announces her departure as the chair of the LALS Department, noting the incredible journey it has been to lead this vibrant interdisciplinary department. She looks forward to continuing the good work with the LALS Department in the new chapter.

Faculty & Staff Announcements YOALLI RODRIGUEZ AGUILERA Dr. Yoalli Rodriguez Aguilera recently won the Center for Latino Research (CLR) fellowship for the autumn of 2024. During this time, they will focus on their first manuscript. The book will be tentatively titled Grieving Geographies, Mourning Waters: Race, Gender, and Environment on the Oaxacan Coast (under contract with University of Illinois Press), and it’s a monograph about a case of environmental racism, decolonial thinking, and anti-racism activism in Mexico.

During the CLR-funded fellowship, Professor Rodriguez will do archival work at the General National Archives in Mexico City, researching the creation of National Parks in Mexico and maps of the region of Oaxaca.

Additionally, Dr. Rodriguez will present at the 2024 Tepoztlan Institute for the Transnational History of the Americas, where they will receive feedback on an upcoming book chapter about Settler Colonialism in Mexico.

JOE TAFOYA Dr. Joe Tafoya recently spoke with the Chicago Tribune to weigh in on issues with GOP strategies to court voters of color. With interests in Latino politics, immigration policy, American public opinion, and voter mobilization, Joe Tafoya joined DePaul experts to discuss the 2024 Election. He is currently researching how campaigns exclude would-be voters, being made “politically invisible" by modern electioneering.

BILL JOHNSON GONZALEZ Bill Johnson González received a Mellon scholarship to attend the Dean's Forum at the annual Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) conference, which this year will be held in late October in Aurora, Colorado. The conference brings together administrators to share information on innovative and creative practices that enhance Latinx student success.

Also, in collaboration with Marcela Reales Visbal, Joanna Maravilla (Lewis University) and Myrna Garcia (Northwestern), Bill helped organize a one-day summer event for Illinois-based educators who are interested in Latinx Studies. The ultimate goal of the collaborative is to write a proposal that will require that Latinx Studies will be incorporated into Illinois curricula for grades K-12.

Faculty & Staff Announcements MIGUEL ÁNGEL CASTAÑEDA Dr. Miguel Castañeda recently joined DePaul as the Social Transformation Research Collaborative Humanities Postdoctoral Fellow in Comparative Race and Ethnicity Studies in the Department of Latin American and Latino Studies. His work has focused on how Mexican American youth, men, and women from immigrant and farmworker families, alongside Black, Filipina/o, and feminist students, have transformed universities in the United States. As a postdoctoral fellow, he will be writing about the Young Lords Organization and their relationship to the Chicana/o student movement.

In his new position, Dr. Castañeda participated in the STRC Summer Institute, where he attended the Pilsen walking tour and learned about Chicago's Chicana/o community. In a special session, Dr. Castañeda presented his research to students, which allowed him to interact with DePaul students before the school year began.

EMILIO DÍAZ Emilio is the new Department Assistant for the Center for Latino Research and the Department of Latin American and Latino Studies. He was born in Lansing, Michigan but raised in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. Emilio holds a bachelor's degree in Graphic Design and Digital Media from the Interamerican University of Puerto RicoAguadilla.

O

S

MI

GUEL Y E M I O! LI

¡BIENVE NI D

Last September, Emilio moved to Chicago to start his Master’s in Digital Communication and Media Arts at DePaul University and expects to finish his program in 2026. For five years he has hosted a podcast called Cannes I Kick It, diving into the world of film festivals which has been featured as one of Vulture.com’s “13 Best Film Podcasts, According to a Film Critic” in 2022. He hopes to use his time in academia to examine Film Festivals as centers of prestige, artistic socialization, and global politics.

9

El Centro, Fall 2024

LALS SPOTLIGHT: DR. MIGUEL ÁNGEL CASTAÑEDA SELF-DETERMINATION AND STUDENT POWER Interview Conducted by Yamitza Yuivar Villarreal This past summer, Dr. Miguel Ángel Castañeda joined DePaul as the STRC Humanities Postdoctoral Fellow in Comparative Race and Ethnicity Studies in the Department of Latin American and Latino Studies. His research has focused on how Chicana/o student movements have transformed universities. We talked about how his personal experiences have shaped this work, his aspirations at DePaul, and the students' power to reveal contradictions in universities and reimagine higher education.

I was born in San Diego, California. My parents are

Latinidad, much more heavily shaped by nation. All

Mexican and grew up on the Mexican side of the San

of these were highly underfunded public schools, so

Diego-Tijuana borderland, in Ensenada. My mom

when I graduated high school, I wasn't prepared by

immigrated to San Diego in the mid-90s, she was part

counselors or my teachers to pursue higher

of this wave of migrants who left Mexico after the

education. I had to sort of figure that part out on my

1994

Agreement

own. At first, I went to San Diego City College to

[NAFTA]. I was born in San Diego, moved to

North

pursue Chemistry. In the process of filling out my

Ensenada, and then moved back to San Diego after

general

NAFTA had essentially made life much more difficult

Chicana/Chicano studies course that gave me a lot of

for people in Mexico. Like so many other migrants,

tools to understand my experience, my family's

my

any

immigration status, and how I was going to pay for

documentation, so I grew up in a mixed-status

my education. I was paying out of pocket because,

household with a single mom. San Diego’s proximity

even though I had US citizenship, I thought that

to the border makes it hyper-policed in terms of

because my mom was undocumented, I was

migration and Border Patrol, so much of my life was

categorically excluded from financial aid. The

shaped by that constant threat of deportation and

Chicana/Chicano Studies faculty really helped me

family separation. My mom was the first one in my

navigate those things.

mom

American

crossed

the

Free

Trade

border

without

education

requirements,

I

took

a

family to migrate to the United States, so we didn't really have anyone else. I say all that not to be like ay,

You participated in a union of student

pobrecito yo, but because I saw my mom really hustle,

employees.

work, and make it happen for herself and for me, and

influence your vision of higher education?

go through really hard things. That shapes how I look

I was part of UAW 2865 when I was in graduate

at the world and think about my work.

school at the University of California, San Diego

How

did

that

experience

(UCSD), in the history department. UAW 2865 is the I grew up in Southeast San Diego, in Paradise Hills,

Academic Workers Union for all of the UC system. It

which is a multiracial neighborhood. San Diego is

allowed students to have the power to move the

pretty segregated, but this place was a mix of a lot of

university to help them with certain things. The

people of color. Going to school in that context also

union gave us a vehicle to make education more

shaped how I write. When I was a teenager, we moved

accessible. I was at UCSD for nine years, and within

to a different city called Chula Vista, very segregated

that period we went on three strikes, which got us

in a very different way. My high school was 90%

gender-neutral bathrooms, better pay, and more

Latino, most of them Mexican, some of them living in

childcare for those who are student parents. All of

Tijuana who were crossing the border every day to

those things are really important to making the

come to school. It was a different experience with

university much more accessible to all. One of the inherent difficulties with student organizing is that

El Centro, Fall 2024

10 there is little institutional memory, a lot of organizations pop up and then students graduate and leave. The union gives us a place to be, it holds the history of the students who have struggled.

That's why I talk about it as part of my history, although it happened much before I was there, because we continued, we built on the things that we had won before.

Independent of what the issue is, student protests expose contradictions, even when the university maintains different discourses of neutrality or even social justice.

Dr. Miguel Ángel Castañeda What classes will you be teaching during the

You're starting your path as the STRC

fall and winter terms?

Humanities Postdoctoral Fellow in the Latin

In the fall, I'll be teaching “Struggle and Resistance

American and Latino Studies Department.

in Latin America” and in the winter “Media and

What do you expect to achieve in this new

Cultural Studies Across the Americas.” My PhD and

position?

a lot of my teaching are very much centered on U.S.

I'm really excited to be at DePaul doing this and to

history, I've taught classes on the US-Mexico border,

connect with the student body in Chicago. I love

for example. So, it will be a bit of a shift, but one

California, but I'm also really liking Chicago so far.

that’s really exciting and will help me understand

Professionally, I want to continue turning my

my work in a hemispheric context.

dissertation into a book manuscript that I can work on and publish in a few years, hopefully.

In your dissertation, you examined how Mexican-American activists have tried to

A lot of my research is focused on MEChA

convert San Diego University from a White

[Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan] and the

institution to a multiracial space. I imagine

student movement Chicana at San Diego State

you heard there have been recent student

University, but I want to bring my research here.

protests, like the encampment at DePaul and

The Young Lords have come up in some of the

other universities. What are your thoughts

interviews that I've done. When I was applying to

about how students can transform higher

this postdoc, I saw that DePaul has a Young Lords

education?

archive at the Special Collections Library. That's

My dissertation, on a second sub-ladder, is about

another area that I want to explore, specifically, the

student power. I was still writing while the

Young Lords’ work at the 1969 Denver Youth

encampments were breaking out, so it gave it a

Chicano Liberation Conference, which is a major

different sense and importance if you will, but also a

conference in the Chicano movement, especially for

lot more pressure to think about this question. I

a lot of the youth and students. I’m interested

think the encampments are already changing higher

because the Young Lords had more influence on the

education because there is no way that, after what

Chicano student movement at a moment in time

happened in the winter and the fall, institutions can

when it was thought to be very Mexican-centric. So

go back to business as normal. I doubt that.

the presence of Puerto Ricans, especially the Young

Independent of what the issue is, student protests

Lords who were also a sort of third-world

expose contradictions, even when the university

revolutionary organization, really throws a wrench

maintains different discourses of neutrality or even

in that narrative.

social justice. Student protests force the university

11

El Centro, Fall 2024 to act in its actual interest and one thing that's

student power to control what the university and

fascinating about the encampments is how swift and

departments did and what it looked like. It was

decisive almost all universities have been in the way

really trying to flip power dynamics so that those

that they have essentially acted and repressed a lot of

most affected by the universities’ decisions, students,

the student encampments. Independent where one

were in control, and that to me is at the crux of what

stands on the issue, one has to comment that the

student power is, the ability to actually make

pressure and the heavy-handed nature of the

decisions in the institution. So for a sliver of time,

university is really a problem.

that's

what

self-determination

meant

and

its

implications for higher education were really drastic.

Columbia University is fascinating as an American

So part of my research is tracing the evolution of

historian. The same hall that was occupied and

student movements.

renamed during this most recent encampment as Hind’s Hall, in the protests against apartheid in

Why is it important for Latinx students and

South Africa, was taken over and renamed Mandela

other marginalized groups to exercise self-

Hall. And also, during the 1960s protest against the

determination

war in Vietnam. Now, their first president of color

transforming this space also alter society?

has stepped down because of the contradictions that

The university plays a really important role in our

have been exposed and her inability to resolve both

society in a lot of different ways, from producing

her identity as a woman of color and the demands of

systems of thought and validating certain ideas over

the student body. That's the student movement's

others. In our current day in life, we think of the

power, to expose contradictions. Another thing

university as a sort of marginal and somewhat

happening at Columbia is a strike by all of the

isolated

employees that make the university run. The student

understand that higher education is central to all

protests will merge with the worker strikes, and it's

things, from political discourses to the waging of

gonna produce a very volatile dynamic. The systems

war, you understand it in a very different light.

of higher education are just too wrapped up already

Because of that, struggles over the university and its

in the process to really say that it's going to look the

priorities really affect other layers of society as well.

in

institution.

universities?

But

when

How

you

begin

can

to

same. Now what that would look like in the end, that's a whole different question, but it'll be

To continue your welcome to DePaul, what

interesting to see how it plays out because we know

do you think about Chicago so far?

what the response of the university is going to be.

I really like Chicago so far. We moved to Pilsen, and it felt the most like home, like Southern California.

You have talked about the concept of self-

The murals have a lot to do with it. One of the big

determination

with

achievements of the Chicano movement in San

reimagining higher education. Can you tell us

Diego is the Chicano Park which is full of murals and

more about this term?

that to me is really representative of the Chicano

Self-determination is a term that is fought over and

movement

whose meaning depends on the context, who says it,

American barrios. It's really interesting to see in

time, and place. In the 1960s, self-determination

Pilsen how the murals are literally part of the

meant liberation, but there were many paths to that

community. You're just walking down a place and all

goal. I try to say, “this is what self-determination is,

of a sudden there's this giant immigrant rights

its evolving nature, and what it means to different

mural. And that's been super cool. But I'm also really

people.” What it meant to MEChA, to Chicanas, and

excited to explore a much more diverse Latinidad

its meaning in the relationship between university

that I know is here, like the historic Puerto Rican

and community. From 1970 to about 1974 in the

community. My wife is Chilena and she's connected

United States, it was the most intense in terms of the

with a whole range of people already. So that is

struggles for power by the Chicano students and

something that I'm really excited to experience, to

Black Power movements. Self-determination for the

learn about, to write about.

in

connection

Chicano student movement and MEChA, was

and

experience,

and

of

Mexican

STRC

2024 SUMMER INSTITUTE RECAP Day One: Architecture Tour

Day Three: South Side

Day Two: Pilsen

Day Four: Sistas in the Village

In July, the STRC welcomed its third cohort of incoming firstyear and transfer students for the 2024 Summer Institute for New Students program! The theme for this year was “AntiRacism, Transformation, and Healing through the Humanities,” and featured lectures by a wonderful team of DePaul faculty from different departments as well as guided tours and guest speakers in Pilsen, Bronzeville, and Englewood.

STRC

2024 SUMMER INSTITUTE STUDENT SPOTLIGHT Mickey Roland | Psychology | Class of 2026

“During my time at STRC, I experienced a world of culture and learned a plethora of things about my own community as well as other communities. Through this program, I got to experience and learn about the cultures of the area and gain new perspectives.

STRC was an amazing opportunity to connect with the culture around me and with myself and the communities I align myself with. It was a very holistic experience and I feel like I was able to work through and gain understanding on different parts of myself and how I interact with the world around me. I was also able to meet people that shared similar ideals and passions to me. Our similar need and hunger for justice connected us on levels that I felt are more than physical and closer to a calling we all have. Despite our different backgrounds, upbringings and culture, this program allowed us to come together and fight oppression, make calls for social change and learn about each other and the way our cultures connect. STRC also emphasized that although we can strive to make change as individuals, doing it as a team is far more impactful. That as well as the many other meaningful messages that STRC taught me was the highlight of my summer and an amazing beginning to my journey at DePaul.”

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El Centro, Fall 2024

Social Transformation Research Collaborative Updates From Program Coordinator for the Social Transformation Research Collaborative, Alejandra Delgadillo

The Social Transformation Research Collaborative is delighted to share its 2024 fellowship cohorts!

2024 Professional Development Faculty Fellows: Dr. Kalyani Menon, Religious Studies “Making Hindus Right: Hindu Supremacy in the Diaspora”

We are also thrilled to announce that Dr. Chernoh Sesay, Jr. (Religious Studies) led this year’s Undergraduate Student Fellowship. He taught a research methods course and mentored all six fellows through the end of the Fall quarter.

Dr. Sanjukta Mukherjee, Women’s and Gender Studies “Pedagogies of care: An oral history of service workers at DePaul University”

We hosted a Summer Kickoff on Tuesday, June 18th at 4pm in the Arts and Letters Patio to celebrate our 2024 fellowship cohorts and the start of our summer programming.

Dr. Carolina Sternberg, Latin American and Latino Studies “Inclusiveness and Equity in Chicago? An Analysis of Lori Lightfoot’s and Brandon Johnson’s Rhetoric and Policies”

Lastly, a reminder to save the date for our third annual symposium, scheduled for Tuesday, October 22, 2024. We will hear from our 2023-2024 faculty fellows, Rocío Ferreira, Juan Mora-Torres, María Ferrera, and Jacqui Lazú, as well as our student fellows from our 2024 cohort, mentioned above. Stay tuned for more updates!

2024 Graduate Student Fellows: Sophia Burns, Sustainable Urban Development “Redlining, Redevelopment, and Resilience: Engaging Urban Policy History to Imagine an Equitable Sustainable Future in Atlantic City” Claudia Cisneros Méndez, Women’s and Gender Studies “Art and Culture as Resistance: Indigenous Communities Defying State Violence and Repression in Peru” Samira Kassem, Sustainable Urban Development “The Power to Move: A Comprehensive Analysis of Black Chicagoans’ Access to Public Transportation from 1915 to Present Day” Elizabeth Wallace, Modern Languages “With an Empathetic Lens: Understanding the Impacts of Forced Migration in Mexico through Film’s Storytelling” 2024 Undergraduate Student Fellows: Abigail Flores, English, Latin American and Latino Studies Naomi Love, Peace, Justice, and Conflict Studies, African and Black Diaspora Studies Sifa Muderhwa, International Studies Chris Sifri, Sociology, The Art School Aidan Tennant, Philosophy, Religious Studies, School of Public Service Jo Trasowech, Criminology, International Studies

For more information please contact STRC Coordinator Alex Delgadillo a.delgadillo@depaul.edu

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STRC Annual Fall Symposium:

WRITING, RACE, AND MEMORY

tuesday, October 22, 2024 | SAC 154 9:40am

STRC 2024 Graduate Fellows Samira Kassem Sophia Burns Claudia C. Méndez Elizabeth Wallace

10:40am

STRC Postdoctoral Fellows Dr. Miguel Angel Castañeda Dr. Taurean J. Webb

11:20am

Keynote | On Romance: A Conversation with author Beverly Jenkins (Indigo, Forbidden) & Dr. Carole V. Bell

12:20pm

STRC 2024 Undergraduate Fellows Abigail Flores Chris Sifri Naomi Love Aidan Tennant Sifa Muderhwa Jo Trasowech

1:00pm

Keynote | Author Karla Cornejo Villavicencio (Catalina, The Undocumented Americans)

2:40pm

STRC 2023-2024 Faculty Fellows Dr. Rocío Ferreira Dr. Juan Mora-Torres Dr. Maria Ferrera Dr. Jacqui Lazú

4:20pm

Keynote | Author David Mura (The Stories Whiteness Tells Itself, A Stranger’s Journey)

Breakfast and lunch will be provided.

Contact a.delgadillo@depaul.edu for more information.

SCAN TO REGISTER

PREVIEW & DISCUSSION OF

THE YOUNG LORDS OF LINCOLN PARK A WTTW DOCUMENTARY COMMEMORATING THE LEGACY OF THE YOUNG LORDS IN CHICAGO

McGowan South 108 Join us for a behind-the-scenes preview & discussion of The Young Lords of Lincoln Park, a new 60-minute documentary that follows an activist group that evolved from a social club to a street gang to a political force, banding together with the Black Panthers and the Young Patriots as the Rainbow Coalition to wage war against what they called Mayor Daley’s “urban removal of the poor” and the area’s eventual gentrification. This program is one of eight new documentaries in WTTW’s CHICAGO STORIES series.

Featuring a panel discussion with:

RSVP HERE

Dr. Jacqueline Lazú (Department of Modern Languages) Tania Lindsay (Producer of The Young Lords of Lincoln Park) Paul Mireles (DePaul student and chairman of the Chicago Chapter of the New Era Young Lords) Moderated by: Dr. Bill Johnson González (English/Director of the Center of Latinx Research)

Questions? clr@depaul.edu

El Centro, Fall 2024

18

NEW ISSUE OF DIÁLOGO! Latines Building A Sense of Place in the Chicago Area and the Midwest Volume 25, Number 1 / Spring 2022 Guest Thematic Editors: Carolina Sternberg and Rocío Ferreira

Scan the QR code to check out the full tabe of contents!

LATINX STUDIES NOW! A CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP FOR K-12 EDUCATORS

EVENT RECAP

DR. JUAN MORA TORRES Teaching the History of Chicagotitlán

On Thursday, August 8th, DePaul’s Center for Latino Research partnered with Dr. Myrna García (Northwestern University) and Dr. Joanna Maravilla (Lewis University) to host a day-long curriculum development workshop for Chicago area K-12 educators. We welcomed 21 educators from the city and the suburban areas that range from early childhood to high school!

The workshop focused on Latinx Studies Today.

Presentation topics included the history of the Mexican community in Chicago, Latinx representation in U.S. and Latin American film, and the importance of a Latinx Studies curriculum for K-12 classrooms.

SENADORA CELINA VILLANUEVA (D-12TH DISTRICT) On the importance of Latinx studies in K-12 classrooms DR. HEATHER MONTES-IRELAND Beyond Representation: Applying Latinx Cultural Studies to Teach Social Issues

Our next step will be to work with Senator Celina Villanueva (D-12th District) and a group of core educators on a proposal for a Latinx Studies Curriculum in K-12 classrooms.

The CLR is grateful to the Vincentian Endowment Fund, which generously supported this event and allowed us to provide stipends for the teachers’ participation.

CO

NG S I M

OON

..

.

nto t s a i u v P de

N

A

LA

U

L

A

TI

X

PO

T A DCAST

P E D

The Center for Latino Research and the Latin American & Latino Studies Department are excited to announce Punto de vista, a podcast created

by Latinx students and staff at DePaul University. The podcast will feature conversations with scholars, writers, and community members about everything Latinx. We aim to foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of Latinx experiences at DePaul, in Chicago, and beyond.

Our first episode focused on the “Latino Vote” and the upcoming election will be out soon! Stay tuned for more information in the coming days. We cannot wait to share this with you all!

CENTER FOR LATINO RESEARCH 2024-2025 FACULTY FELLOWS SYMONE JOHNSON Assistant Professor | African & Black Diaspora Studies "Reintegration as a Sacred Political Project" Pre-colonial African and Indigenous philosophies hold core beliefs about the continuities between the material and the immaterial qualities of nature and how they are mirrored in the body. In a contemporary U.S. context which is historically founded on divisive ideologies and manufactured material scarcity for many, alternative healers of color consider: How can we adapt our traditional methods and tools for healing to reflect the truths of nature and the truths of our discontent as marginal subjects? “Reintegration As a Sacred Political Project”, supported by the Center for Latino Research, is an ethnographic project centering stories of Black, Latinx, and Asian acupuncturists, psychics, diviners, herbalists, reiki masters, counselors, designers, artists, and musicians working in New York City. Our collective objectives—healer and researcher, personal and political—are to help restore wholeness to modern bodies fragmented by social division, poverty, and violence which alienate us from each other and the labor of loving that is our sacred duty.

JORDAN LEVY Assistant Professor | Anthropology "Reading the Political Landscape: Resistance, State, and Transnational Migration in Post-Coup Honduras" This CLR fellowship will support my book project, which examines the current exodus from Honduras as a form of resistance to state practices and governing policies since the June 2009 military coup. The monograph I plan to write is based on qualitative data collected during ethnographic research in Honduras during the overthrow and aftermath of the coup; interviews with Honduran migrants to the U.S.; and reflections on the shifting nature of Honduran asylum cases, for which I regularly serve as an expert witness. The analysis put forth emphasizes how Hondurans attempt to change post-coup policies of governance within Honduras, while also reading political landscapes of uncertainty in Central America and the U.S. –forming strategies for migration and asylum abroad. My aim is for the book to contribute to Political Anthropology, Latin American Studies, and Latino Studies, while also serving as a resource for migrant rights advocacy groups.

YOALLI RODRÍGUEZ-AGUILERA Assistant Professor | Latin American and Latino Studies "A History of Afro-Indigenous Women Against Environmental Racism on the Coast of Oaxaca, Mexico" My project is the first one in Mexico to look at how environmental racism affects an Afro-Indigenous community. It focuses on the efforts of women in the communities around the Chacahua Lagoons, on the Coast of Oaxaca, Mexico to protect and fix the water and land. This research aims to fill a gap in understanding how gender, race, and the environment intersect in Mexico. I want to study old documents about the Chacahua Lagoons, which became a National Park in 1938. I'll look at records and maps in Mexico City's National General Archive to see how the lagoons became a National Park and its repercussions in the Afro-Indigenous communities. These documents will help me show how despite being declared a National Park, the lagoons are now polluted due to toxicity and pollution. Studying this will help me understand why Afro-Indigenous communities are trying to clean and fix the water as a form of defending their ancestral water and land.

El Centro, Fall 2024

22

2024 - 2025 CLR FACULTY FELLOWS SPOTLIGHT: DR. JORDAN LEVY HONDURAN RESISTANCE AND MIGRATION Interview conducted by Gigi Lara Dr. Jordan Levy is an Assistant Professor of Anthropology. His research interests include state formation, political culture, and transnational migration in Honduras. His work addresses issues to do with neoliberal reforms to the K–12 education system in Honduras, the evolving culture of resistance since the 2009 military coup, and Hondurans’ experiences with migration. He has conducted fieldwork in Tegucigalpa, southern Honduras, and among Hondurans living in Washington State.

In addition to research and teaching, Dr. Levy regularly serves as an expert witness on behalf of Hondurans who seek asylum abroad. Through this applied scholarship, Dr. Levy has worked with a range of immigrant rights organizations, immigration law firms, and law student asylum & human rights clinics. We discussed his most recent project for the CLR Faculty Fellowship, which consists of a book about the situation in Honduras since the 2009 coup.

I'm a sociocultural anthropologist, which means that I study contemporary societies and cultures. My area of expertise is Honduras. I have been going there doing NGO work since before grad school and wanting to be an anthropologist. I was there during the military coup in 2009 when the president [Manuel Zelaya] was ousted. Since then, I've studied governance, political culture, and state formation processes and the various reasons why people flee the country, seek asylum abroad, and migrate abroad.

This will be my 10th year since graduating from my PhD. I had tenure at a university in Washington

Dr. Jordan Levy

state but with the pandemic, a lot of programs were shut down. Then I got a one-year job at the

My goal is to write a complete draft manuscript of

University of Connecticut and decided that wasn't

my book. It’s going to be about the events since the

really for me. I'm used to working with smaller

military coup in Honduras and the evolving culture

groups of students at a liberal arts college. It's great

of resistance among Hondurans who have become

to finally be able to find that at DePaul.

active in this movement to reform and improve their society. At the same time, my book will analyze why

What are you hoping to achieve during your

people, for various reasons, need to flee the country

CLR faculty fellowship year?

and seek asylum abroad. It will do this by drawing

I'm so excited about the CLR Fellowship. It's a great

upon ethnographic research, and follow-up projects

opportunity because there’s a lot of support for

about what Honduran migrants do once they're in

junior faculty. The fact that the Center for Latino

the US, which I have been doing in Washington state

Research exists, and the fact that the Migration

since 2018. Mainly with former students, Latinx-

Collaborative exists makes me feel like my areas of

identified

research are really desired and supported at DePaul.

students, but also by myself last summer.

students,

and

Honduran-identified

23

El Centro, Fall 2024 Given the current political moment, with

Where are the migrant communities that

migrants at the center of the electoral

you study housed? Do you see any parallels

rhetoric, from your perspective, what is the

with the current migrant mission/crisis in

best way to communicate and clarify the

Chicago?

definition and status of asylum seekers for a

Overall, my research isn't on the specifics of the

general audience?

municipal government or housing. My research

I think all U.S. voters would do well to have a crash

focuses on Tacoma, WA, and other smaller towns

course in asylum and in law. The politicians on all

between Tacoma and Seattle. There's a growing

sides of the spectrum talk about this in rather strange

Central American community and for the most

ways. It's not illegal to apply for asylum. In fact, the

part, people are housed. In Western Washington,

US is bound by international law based on the UN

most of the people I interviewed found community

Convention following World War II to have this

in churches that gave services in Spanish and that

process in place. It could be that the applicant is

tried to help migrants find a job and housing. The

denied asylum, but they have every right, legally, to

whole idea of sanctuary has a long tradition with

go to another country and apply for asylum. I think

churches saying, “We're going to provide a place for

that often gets lost in some of the electoral rhetoric

people. We're going to make this a space where the

because asylum is –by definition– a legal process.

government or ICE can't come in here.” I think a

This is in no way a loophole. There was a New York

parallel with Chicago is that we see non-

Times op-ed a while back that really angered me

governmental entities step in to do what they can,

because it said something like how Biden is closing

whether they're activist groups, migrant rights

the “asylum loophole.” This is a legal process that is

advocacy groups, or church based.

lengthy precisely because the US government doesn't hire as many immigration judges as they need to,

For me and in the book that I'm writing, I'm going

based on the demand. And the demand, of course, is

to try to push back on the rhetoric of a “migration

a function of violence and climate change, and a

crisis”, because I think it's better phrased as a

series of things already happening in other countries

(fabricated) crisis for migrants. The U.S. is

of the world. As someone who does expert witness

creating this moment of crisis by saying “no more

work, I know that from the time the person applies to

migrants”,

when they get their hearing, it's usually over two

extraordinary. Honduras is a country of 10 million

years. There's a series of standards that must be met

people, and there have always been people coming

just to be eligible, such as a Credible Fear Interview

and leaving the country. And yes, there are these

(screening), in which the U.S. government says, “Yes,

moments of extreme violence where people are now

this is a credible fear, and you're likely to get

fleeing. There's a certain exodus, but the “crisis” is

asylum,” and police background checks done in the

made by the receiving countries –by not adequately

U.S. and Central America.

dealing with it.

The assumption these are people who are somehow

Your

criminals or are going through some kind of loophole

resistance and neoliberalism in Honduras

is objectively wrong. There's a series of opinions that

after the 2009 coup. Can you tell us about

could be voiced. How do we improve this system?

your main takeaways from this project? Do

How can it be made more efficient? What is the ideal

you see any parallels in these patterns in the

number [of migrants] that the U.S. should take in?

US?

What are the criteria? But that is not talked about in

Absolutely. We live in this neoliberal moment

the mainstream media. The whole process is talked

where government services that were previously

about in a way that doesn't reflect knowledge on how

provided by the state –whether we're talking about

it actually works. And frankly, because most US-born

healthcare, education, infrastructure, or basic

people don't ever have to deal with immigration, they

utilities– are becoming less provided by the

don't know about it because they don't have to.

government, and more privatized.

but

previous

the

numbers

research

aren't

focused

super

on

El Centro, Fall 2024

24 In the case of Honduras, my research was focused

rights. All these issues still exist. Police, military,

on the K-12 education system. After the military

and government corruption are endemic because of

coup that illegally ousted the democratically-

these broader structural processes that were put in

elected

place largely because of the military coup.

progressive

president,

we

see

this

resurgence of neoliberal policies. So, schools throughout the country, that were previously

What will eventually happen is we will look back

funded

and say: there is no more public education system

by

the

Ministry

of

Education,

in

Tegucigalpa, got their budgets slashed.

in Honduras. That's a parallel with the U.S. in that the levels of government funding for education are

The research focuses on how teachers saw

dwindling. Yet, there's money for ICE, Border

connections between the military coup, neoliberal

Patrol, military, and police. Similarly, Honduras

policies, and this eroding of the social contract

has the largest armed forces in Central America. It

between

The

doesn't make sense because there is no civil or

Honduran state has always paid for education, and

regional war going on. There's this bloated budget

now they're saying “go find your own way of dealing

for the military. Even with a portion of that, they

with this.” Teachers reluctantly had to go about

could fund education with no problem. It's not a

asking rich people for money. At the same time,

question of there not being money, it's a question of

they had to ask parents to pay tuition and fees

priority. Any budget reflects priorities and values.

people

and

the

government.

where they didn't have to before. In the context of poverty, that meant that many families wouldn't be

What has your experience been teaching at

able to send their kids to school, and a lot of kids

DePaul? How has it been different from

dropped out of school. Teachers correctly predicted

previous

this was going to create more social problems, such

taught?

as gang violence, school dropouts, and many young

What’s different about DePaul is that my students

people not having any opportunities after they

are very well-informed. They’re very politically

graduated, if they even graduated from high school.

aware and aware of social injustices, global issues,

institutions

where

you

have

and potential solutions, or at least steps in the right At the same time, the research is about how

direction. They know what needs to happen to, for

Hondurans are organizing and resisting these kinds

example, end a war or genocide. They know who's

of policies. Teachers are often leaders in the

to blame for certain policies. And in many ways,

communities where they work. They're public

they're informing me of the specifics. Sometimes I

intellectuals who will rally people up around a

feel like, well, who's in charge in this classroom? –

certain cause, organize marches and protests, and

because every day I learn so much from my

educate the population about how they ought to

students, that I come out of every class just really

think about current events in the country, making

energized. It’s a pleasure to teach and to work with

the kind of connections that aren't always obvious.

students who are so informed on global issues.

Lots of these policies continue presently, even with Xiomara Castro de Zelaya, a progressive female

To finalize, what has your vibe been this

President, who inherited the country after 13 years

summer? Is there a particular song or artist

of dictatorship. You can't expect any administration

or playlist that you've had on repeat?

to change the country overnight. I get asked a lot

I've got a five-year-old, so we listen to a lot of

about this sort of thing, by the Department of

Pinkfong in my house. A lot of Baby Shark. What

Homeland Security (who are the prosecuting

about myself? Probably Pearl Jam and music from

attorneys for ICE). They say, “Honduras now has a

the 1990s. I am a bit nostalgic. I miss Seattle to an

progressive government. Can't people just go

extent. But I also know that I'm able to freely visit.

back?” And the answer is no, because of gang

So, it reminds me too, of the fact that there are

violence, gender-based violence, the erosion of

plenty of Honduran migrants who miss home and

Indigenous rights, and the erosion of worker’s

aren't able to just go visit.

25

El Centro, Fall 2024

CLR/LALS External Advisory Board Members Maria G. Arias Principal, Maria Arias Solutions BA, Political Science, DePaul University, 1983 Martin Arteaga President, Green Building Partners, Inc. BA, Political Science, DePaul University, 2000 Trish Brown Cordes Master of Public Service Management, DePaul University, 1983 Leonard Domínguez Secretary, Little Village Rotary Club of Chicago BA, Economics, DePaul University, 1967 Yvette Flores Managing Partner/Director, Cardinal Green Investments LLC BA, Sociology, DePaul University, 1986 Marisol Morales Executive Director, Carnegie Elective Classifications, American Council on Education BA, Latin American Latino Studies; MA/MS International Public Service Management, DePaul University, 1999 Michelle Morales President, Woods Fund Chicago BA, Latin American Studies, DePaul University, 1997 Maria Pesqueira President, Healthy Communities Foundation BA, Latin American Studies, DePaul University, 1990 Edgar Ramírez President/CEO, Chicago Commons Association BA, Political Science/Latin American Studies, DePaul University, 2000 Ulises Iván Sánchez Human Resources Officer/U.S. Department of State BA, Leadership and Human Resources Management, DePaul University, 2015 MS, Human Resources, DePaul University, 2016 Lou Sandoval President/CEO, Halo Advisory Group BS, Biochemistry, DePaul University, 1988

El Centro, Fall 2024

26

CLR/LALS EXTERNAL ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS’ SPOTLIGHT: DR. MARISOL MORALES EDUCATION IN SERVICE OF OTHERS Interview Conducted by Yamitza Yuivar Villarreal In 2022, the CLR and LALS Department worked with Dr. Marisa Alicea to establish an External Advisory Board made up of DePaul alumnae/i and community members. This volunteer group serves as advocates, advisors, and resources for CLR & LALS faculty and students. The group meets quarterly to remain informed about CLR & LALS activities and to establish a plan to assist in our efforts. The board’s work is grounded on a common understanding of the importance of the opportunity to study and research Latin American and Latinx communities.

Dr. Marisol Morales is the Executive Director of the Carnegie Elective Classifications at the American Council on Education. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Latin American and Latino Studies and a master's in International Public Service Management from DePaul University. In 2020, Dr. Morales earned her EdD in organizational leadership from the University of La Verne with a dissertation about the community engagement experiences of Latino students at a Hispanic-Serving Institution. Between 2005 and 2013, she worked as the associate director of the Steans Center at DePaul University.

I am Puerto Rican, born and raised in Chicago. I've been working in higher education for almost 20 years now, specifically around community engagement.

That's where I've spent most of my time, but I currently work for the American Council on Education,

running

Classifications,

which

the

Carnegie

focuses

on

Elective

institutional

transformation through higher education's public purpose missions.

How have you related your experience as a Latina alumna from DePaul with your work in higher education and public service?

When I went to DePaul, taking my first Latino

Dr. Marisol Morales

studies class titled “US Colonialism of Puerto Rico” really changed my educational trajectory. It was the

Being able to work at the Center for Latino Research

first time I saw myself reflected in the curriculum. It

under Doctor Félix Masud-Piloto, who was a real

also gave me an opportunity to interact with the local

mentor for me during my time there, also gave me a

Puerto Rican community. For me, it really jump-

physical location to be situated as a Latino student,

started my own development as an activist, leader,

that we didn't have at the time because there was no

and community organizer. I'm grateful for my

Latinx Cultural Center. And it was really my cohort of

undergraduate experience at DePaul. I feel like it

student colleagues during that time that fought for that

really shaped me into the kind of professional leader

and got the creation of the Multicultural Center and

that I am today and it gave me a great foundation and

resources for culturally or ethnically based student

relationships with faculty as well as community

organizations, so I think it sparked my activism on-

partners that I still really credit for my work.

campus as well as off-campus.

27

El Centro, Fall 2024

Do you think that for the experience of Latinx

university into any support that he needed. He did

students, it's important to have these spaces

not do well academically after those losses and only

and courses?

when he withdrew from DePaul, a retention

Yeah, absolutely. I really believe in cultural spaces for

specialist reached out to him, and that's too late. As

students.

are

soon as they see a student's grades go down,

predominantly White institutions, these spaces help to

somebody needs to be reaching out, especially to

service that kind of transition space for students who

our targeted Latino population. So, DePaul wasn't

are trying to figure themselves out, their connection to

the right fit for him. There are a lot of things that I

higher education, and find resources.

have insights into as a professional in this space, as

For

places

like

DePaul

that

a parent, I have all kinds of opinions about the ways What are your insights about research data and

intention

in

the

development

that our institutions respond to students.

of

educational policies and programs?

Higher education institutions are usually

In higher education, we need research that is

created for White students. When we talk

relevant and has a real impact on communities. It's

about Latinxs, there are diverse experiences

great that we emphasize publishing in journals, but

within this group.

that's not enough. How many people are reading

Absolutely. And I think as a broader Latinx

that and what impact is that having versus taking

community we haven't had the conversations of,

the time, talent, and energy of our researchers to

what's the difference for Afro-Latino students

really think about their ability to help support

versus White presenting students? What are the

communities that are working on important issues

differences that they experience? What experiences

or move policy changes? More institutions need to

are we highlighting? How do we make the

recognize public impact scholarship as a real tool for

distinction between folks in the Latinx community

assessing

tenure

who have been in the United States for multiple

promotion policy. I think engaged public impact

generations and those who just got here? There are

research has to be elevated.

commonalities, but there are a lot of differences.

faculty

contributions

and

How do we talk about a broader Latinx identity We do a good job of collecting data. I don't know

that's not just based on knowing Spanish or Spanish

how good a job we do in analyzing that data and

being our first language, or first-generation versus

then creating meaningful changes. Higher education

not

needs to assess its reputation of harm to the

assumptions that I think we make of our

community and make adjustments in that way. It

community.

first-generation?

There

are

all

these

needs to review its overall policies and see how they are tools for bureaucratic violence and how they

There have been questions about whether

create unnecessary harm to students, communities,

HSIs

faculty, and staff. There needs to be policies able to

challenges that Latinx students face in

ensure the full participation of our students given

higher education. To what extent has the

the needs and talents they bring into our higher

HSI designation and the opportunities that

education spaces. We need programs that support

come

students more and that are more targeted toward

universities and colleges to address the

thinking about the students we enroll.

necessities of Latinx students?

have

with

significantly

it,

like

addressed

grants,

the

enabled

My gut reaction is no, and it depends. It depends on My son just transferred to Northern Illinois

who the leader is and what leadership looks like

University. During his freshman and sophomore

because some institutions see the dollar signs but

years at DePaul, he had two friends who were shot

haven't had real conversations about what it

and killed due to gun violence in Chicago. He told

actually means to serve. Or they're uncomfortable

faculty, but there was no follow-up from the

with hat conversation. Most of the HSIs were

El Centro, Fall 2024

28 predominantly White institutions; you're trying to

US universities are really competitive. What

repot a plant in a different climate zone, and the

is necessary to move education to a more

question is, how do you create the right conditions? If

equitable and diverse context?

you really want to be an HSI, then you have to be

It's hard because what we're experiencing now is the

intentional about it. Going after the grants and

clash in values between Capitalism and our public

sprinkling them on Latino students is not enough.

need to educate, engage, and inform citizens. For

I've been at institutions where they've tried to put a

me, the more spaces we can create for collaboration

caveat to their HSI status: “We're an HSI, but we

and understanding, the more we enable a stronger

serve all students.” It has to be institutional. When

higher education system. At least for the Elective

my dad went to DePaul, there weren't many Latino

Classification, we're trying to create these non-

students; it was a time of really rampant racism. I

competitive spaces. We need to, as individuals,

was able to get a lot of support and intentionality. I

think about the way we interact with our democracy

felt cared for. When I worked at DePaul, I tried to

to push away the extreme viewpoints. Our diversity

have that same perspective. My son did not have that

as a nation is not going away as much as some of

experience, hence him leaving. I don't know how

those folks would like to have that be the case. It's

DePaul is connecting its Vincentian mission with its

only going to increase. And our institutions are

potential HSI status, but I think if it is able to really

going to have to meet those demands and hopefully

be intentional about both, there's a chance for it to be

not be subjected to the culture war. This election is

a strong HSI.

going to be really important in terms of that. We can't take for granted that we're always going to be

What do universities need to prepare to serve

in a space that honors, respects, and wants

the students before getting the designation?

diversity.

I

hope

that

they

would

make

a

significant

commitment to ensuring the diversity of their faculty and staff, which means creating opportunities for

We can't take for granted that we're always going to be in a space that honors, respects, and wants diversity

promotion within the institution. I hope that they would ensure that there are voices and there's representation at the highest leadership levels and on the board who are there to advocate for this population.

At DePaul, we should be measuring how successful

What advice would you give to the DePaul

we are in ensuring that students are supported in

students

who

completing their degrees. When I worked at DePaul,

changes

and

my understanding was that the university was

communities?

created to serve immigrant students, to serve the city.

What

There's an enrollment cliff and then there's Latino

encampments, trying to bring attention to what was

students who are going to be the ones that save

happening in Gaza, was a reminder to students that

higher education. But not if higher education is just

they have a lot more power than they sometimes

looking at us as dollar signs. We have to learn how to

realize. Social change is always this pendulum that

invite our students, we can't just expect them to come

swings back and forth, so for students who are

to us.

really concerned and who both have the energy and

students

wish

to

connect did

last

promote

social

with

their

spring

with

the

the vision for the future, it is like getting energized In your work, you call for reimagining the

by the winds, not getting disheartened by failure.

Carnegie Foundation Elective Classifications

Most of the social change that has occurred in this

for institutions that have made extraordinary

country has been because of young people.

commitments to their public purpose. But

Rudy Lozano Library Celebration EVENT RECAP ON JULY 14TH, THE RUDY LOZANO BRANCH OF THE CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY HOSTED A DAY-LONG CELEBRATION TO HONOR THE MEMORY OF RUDY LOZANO AS A COMMUNITY ACTIVIST, AND TO REQUEST THAT THE CITY OF CHICAGO HELP FUND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN OFFICIAL PUBLIC ARCHIVE OF LATINX HISTORY AT THE LIBRARY. A LABOR ACTIVIST, COMMUNITY ORGANIZER, AND DEFENDER OF IMMIGRANT RIGHTS, LOZANO IS OFTEN REMEMBERED FOR HIS ROLE IN UNIFYING AND MOBILIZING BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES IN THE CITY IN SUPPORT OF THE ELECTION OF HAROLD WASHINGTON, WHO BECAME THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN MAYOR OF CHICAGO IN 1983.

PROFESSOR OF HISTORY JUAN MORATORRES HAS BEEN SPEARHEADING EFFORTS TO DOCUMENT LOZANO’S CONTRIBUTIONS TO CHICAGO HISTORY AND TO ESTABLISH THE LATINX ARCHIVE AT THE LOZANO LIBRARY. PROF. MORA-TORRES IS SHOWN HERE DISCUSSING LOZANO WITH CHICAGO MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON. THE EVENT WAS ALSO ATTENDED BY MEMBERS OF LOZANO’S FAMILY, ALDERMAN BYRON SIGCHO-LOPEZ, COMMUNITY ACTIVISTS, AND THE CENTER FOR LATINO RESEARCH.

LEAD L A T I N O S

E M P O W E R E D

Latinos Empowered at DePaul (LEAD) is an Employee Resource Group that serves all Latine/x-identifying faculty and staff at DePaul.

Meet our new Executive Board Eunice Amador (Office of University Events), Staff Co-Chair Jesús Pando (Chair, Physics and Astrophysics) - Faculty Co-Chair Areli Contreras (University Counseling & Psychological Services) - Secretary Tania Rodríguez (LAS Advising Services Office) - Treasurer Marcela L. Reales Visbal (Center for Latino Research) - Events Co-Chair Flor Reza (Latinx Cultural Center) - Events Co-Chair Cristina Rodríguez (LAS Technology Center) - Communications Coordinator José Perales (Office of Institutional Diversity & Equity) - At-large Member

A T

D E P A U L

If you’re interested in joining LEAD and sharing your experience as a Latine/x faculty or staff member at DePaul, please fill out our needs assessment survey

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Contact us: lead@depaul.edu

Winter 2025

LATIN AMERICAN AND

LATINO STUDIES This interdisciplinary department explores the broad dynamics shaping Latin American & Latinx experiences and draws courses and insights from multiple fields. The Department of Latin American & Latino Studies also serves to deepen Latinx students’ awareness of their cultural heritage.

Winter 2025

CORE COURSES (LST 200 through 203 fulfill Social, Cultural, and Behavioral Inquiry requirements)

LST 200: Founding Myths and Cultural Conquest in the Americas

M/W: 9:40-11:10am

Yoali Rodríguez Aguilera

LST 203: Media and Cultural Representations in Latin America

T/TH: 9:40-11:10 pm

Miguel Castañeda

OTHER COURSES LST 121/HIS 121: Latin America to 1765

OLAS

Ana Schaposchnik

LST 122/HIS 122: Latin America, 1765-1914

M/W: 1:00-2:30 pm

Juan Mora Torres

LST 300/PSC 359: Latin American Revolution and Film

M/W: 11:20-12:50 pm

Rose Spalding

CES 300/WGS 345: Women, War, and Resistance

M/W: 2:40-4:10 pm

Rocio Ferrera

LST 310/CES 403: Cities and Racial Formation

W: 6:00-9:15 pm

Carolina Sternberg

LST 310/PAX 321: Principles and Practices of Restorative Justice

W: 6:00-9:15 pm

Tomas Ramirez

HIS 201: Mexican American (Chican@) History

M/W: 9:40-11:10 am

Juan Mora Torres

LSP 112: Puerto Rican Experience

T/TH: 9:40-11:10 am

Jesse Mumm

LSP 200: The US Mexico Border: People, Resources, Environmental Waste, Technology

M/W: 11:20-12:50 pm

Yoali Rodríguez Aguilera

@DePaulLALS @LALS_depaul

For more information, contact ltorres@depaul.edu

ENG 275/276

Latinx Film Series Every Thursday Sept 12th - Oct 24th 4:00 - 6:00 PM Arts & Letters 409

9/12: PORVENIR, TEXAS (2019) 9/19: ZOOT SUIT (1981) 9/26: P'ALANTE, SIEMPRE P'ALANTE!: THE YOUNG LORDS (1996) 10/17: EL NORTE (1984) 10/24: LA JAULA DE ORO/THE GOLDEN DREAM (2013)

Other Screenings Arts & Letters 205 | 1:00 - 2:30 PM

10/17: AbUSed: The Postville Raid (2010) 10/31: La Llorona (2019)

QUESTIONS? BJOHNS58@DEPAUL.EDU

A reading and conversation with

DAISY HERNÁNDEZ

Moderated by Dr. Lourdes Torres (LALS/CES)

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8TH, 2024 6:00PM Levan 100 DePaul University Lincoln Park Campus Join us for a reading and conversation with Cuban-Colombian author, Daisy Hernández, who will be discussing her landmark anthology Colonize This! Young Women of Color on Today’s Feminism. Hernández is also the author of the memoir A Cup of Water Under My Bed, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary. She will be discussing her memoir in a separate event earlier in the day. Books will be available for purchase.

RSVP

QUESTIONS? CLR@DEPAUL.EDU

Sponsored by:

LATINX

BOOK CLUB

READING AND CELEBRATING LATINX AUTHORS

Join us for a discussion of

A CUP OF WATER UNDER MY BED A memoir

by Daisy Hernández In this 2015 memoir, Hernández chronicles what the women in her Cuban-Colombian family taught her about love, money, and race. An exploration of family, identity, and language, this book is a daughter’s story of finding herself and her community and creating a new, queer life.

Meeting Dates: Thursday, September 26 4:30 - 5:45pm Center for Latino Research (SAC 5th Floor, Suite A-H)

Tuesday, October 8 With the Author!

3:30 - 4:30pm Latinx Cultural Center (O'Connell 360)

We will discuss half the book on 9/26 and the entire memoir on 10/8 when the author will be visiting DePaul.

REGISTER HERE The first 15 students who register will receive a FREE COPY of the book!

Questions? clr@depaul.edu HOSTED BY: Center for Latino Research Latinx Cultural Center University Counseling and Psychological Services

Contact Us LALS | CLR Lourdes Torres LALS Chair ltorres@depaul.edu

Emilio Díaz Department Assistant ediaz68@depaul.edu

Bill Johnson González CLR Director bjohns58@depaul.edu

Gigi Lara Student Assistant alara26@depaul.edu

Marcela L. Reales Visbal CLR Assistant Director mrealesv@depaul.edu

Yamitza A. Yuivar Villarreal Graduate Student Assistant yyuivarv@depaul.edu

Follow us on Instagram

@clr_depaul @lals_depaul Email us

clr@depaul.edu lals@depaul.edu Call us

(773) 325-7316 (773) 325-4818 Visit us

2320 N Kenmore Ave Schmitt Academic Center (SAC), 5A-H Chicago, IL, 60614 Like us on Facebook

Center for Latino Research-DePaul University The Department of Latin American and Latino Studies-DePaul University