Events

This series of public lectures explores critical issues shaping the field of Latina/o Studies today. Across the U.S., Latina/o Studies has been integrated into academic spaces and produced new forms of knowledge and theoretical frameworks. At the same time, it has maintained its connection to Latina/o communities outside the academy, which has required an awareness of the constantly changing shape of these communities in different parts of the country. The series relates these institutional questions to matters of local, national, and global importance, including immigration, urban policy and gentrification, race politics, language use, and cultural production. While the category "Latino” is operative within these debates, the cohesiveness of this identity is complicated by the distinct and heterogeneous conditions of Latinas/os in the U.S. as well as by the manner in which national borders are transcended via transnationalism and migration. As it considers these issues, the series marks the inauguration of the undergraduate minor in Latina/o Studies at Penn State.

The Engaging Latina/o America Lecture Series is being made possible by support from the College of the Liberal Arts, Department of English, Department of History, Department of Women's Studies, Office of the Vice Provost for Educational Equity, and University Libraries. The Rock Ethics Institute events are also made possible with the support of a generous gift from Doug and Julie Rock.