University of Michigan Latina/o Studies

Hilos de Identidad: Latino Voices of Detroit Exhibit at Wayne State University (Opening Reception: Friday, September 18, 2026)

Hilos de Identidad: Latino Voices of Detroit
September 18 through December 12, 2026

Rooted in the heartbeat of close-knit barrios, spaces shaped by tradition, family, memory, and mutual care, Latino artists living and working across Detroit transform the uncertainties of everyday life into bold declarations of presence and pride. Hilos de Identidad: Latino Voices of Detroit honors the ways art becomes refuge and resonance: the vibrant colors of celebration, the weight of untold stories, all held within a city already defined by resilience.

This exhibition celebrates the impact of Latino artists, carrying their cultural inheritance and artistic legacy into a space where the city’s past and future intersect, contributing to the city’s ongoing transformation. At a time when identity and belonging are increasingly called into question, their work becomes a cultural footprint in motion.

Exhibition includes work by the following artists:

Diana Alva, Peter Daniel Bernal, Elton Monroy Duran, Jacinto Herrera, Mary Laredo Herbeck, Alvaro Jurado, Kimbery Lavone, Juan Martinez, Nora Chapa Mendoza, Ivan Montoya, Irene Perez, Dalia Reyes, Julianna Sanroman Rojas, Vito Valdez, and George Vargas.

September 18 through December 12, 2026

Elaine L. Jacob Gallery Wayne State University
480 W Hancock St, Detroit, MI 48201
https://www.waynestategalleries.org/

Opening Reception:
Friday, September 18, 5:00-8:00PM

Where are they now?
Say hello to Rebecca Goldberg, Artist for Designs by RebeccaMich, LLC. She urges students to "Learn forever, even after your time in AC is done!". Read more below.

Where are they now?
Say hello to Cristina Faiver-Serna, Assistant Professor of Women's and Gender Studies & Geography at the University of New Hampshire. She believes that we need American and ethnic studies now more than ever. Read more below!

Where are they now?
Meet Christina Abreu, Director of the Center for Latino and Latin American Studies and Associate Professor of History at Northern Illinois University. Her recent work focuses on boxing champion Teófilo Stevenson. Read more below!

With a legendary juror, ‘Trabajadores’ show connects art, labor, Latino identity. From construction sites to canvas, a Detroit exhibition brings Latino workers into the spotlight.

"Trabajadores" opened Friday, May 1, at La Galería in Southwest Detroit, showcasing Latino workers and artists with 94-year-old painter Nora Chapa Mendoza as juror. She is a 2024 Kresge Eminent Artist and her work on migrant laborers and Chicano identity is featured in the Smithsonian Archives of American Art.

The show runs through May 28 at La Galería, a community art space run by the Mexicantown Community Development Corp. at 2835 Bagley St. in Detroit.

With a legendary juror, ‘Trabajadores’ show connects art, labor, Latino identity 'Trabajadores' opens May 1 in Southwest Detroit, celebrating Latino workers with 94-year-old Kresge artist Nora Chapa Mendoza as juror.

No English needed: How Bad Bunny reshaped the US pop mainstream Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, known to the world as Bad Bunny, did not just climb the charts; he bypassed the entire industry machine. Moving from bagging groceries in Puerto Rico to becoming a global icon, he proved you do not need to sing in English to own the stage—a feat anchored by his his...

LACS Virtual Residency Program Connects U-M and UPR.

Four faculty members from UPR join the 2026 University of Michigan Center for Latin American & Caribbean Studies (LACS) Virtual Residency Program.

https://ii.umich.edu/lacs/news-events/news/search-news/virtual-residency-program.html

Ecuador Classroom in the Clouds. A ‘pedagogy of love’ rewires the lesson, students are taking note. Story by Fernanda Pires. Images by Janis Carrion-Paute and Fernanda Pires. Video by Janis Carrion-Paute and Rafaella Terán.

ECUADOR—Nearly two miles up in the Andes, a rural high school turns its surrounding forest and mountain ridges into a living classroom. Beside a volcano, University of Michigan students walk with local educators and Indigenous youth to see what a typical school day looks like in this remote community near Otavalo.

The 24 U‑M undergraduates traveled to Otavalo and Quito, Ecuador’s capital city, as part of a 3‑credit course examining how schools navigate cultural and economic realities. They are pursuing different majors, though many were drawn by an interest in education.

Working alongside Ecuadorian students, the group explores how Indigenous traditions and global education models intersect in everyday classroom practice.

For continuation, see here: https://news.umich.edu/ecuador-classroom-in-the-clouds-a-pedagogy-of-love-rewires-the-lesson-students-are-taking-note/

Where are they now?
Say hello to John R. Chávez, Professor Emeritus of History at Southern Methodist University. He notes that the AMCULT program helped him view cultures within a global framework of shared humanity, something that has influenced him ever since. Read more below!

The School of Social Work at the University of Michigan and VOCES: Southwest Detroit History recently collaborated to hold oral history workshops at the school in Ann Arbor and in Southwest Detroit.

Starting with a three-part workshop series at Congress of Communities in late January and early February a concerted effort has been made to elevate the VOCES Collective’s efforts in documenting Southwest Detroit’s Latino rich history that dates back over 100 years.

U of M and VOCES Collaborate on Oral History Project Southwest Detroit Latino history comes alive through oral history workshops preserving 100+ years of culture, stories, and identity