Latin American and Latino Studies

& stopped by and said hi to our LALS433 students, who were installing our Bordando Esperanza exhibition 🌟

Bordando Esperanza opens this Thursday at 🌟 You won’t want to miss the opening reception at 6:00pm, featuring speakers from the Sonora-Arizona borderlands 🙌🏼

Register at link in bio!

Here are some great pics from our event "Celebrating 50 Years: The Making of Latin American and Latino Studies," which took place on Sept. 5. It was the kick-off event for our 50th anniversary celebration this fall.

Congratulations to Prof. Xochitl Bada! Her book (co-authored with Shannon Gleeson) Scaling Migrant Worker Rights: How Advocates Collaborate and Contest State Power has been given the Latin@/x Caucus Best Book Award 2024, American Political Science Association.

Join us on Thursday, September 19th to celebrate the opening of Bordando Esperanza ✨

The exhibition features the hand-stitched retablos of Latin Americans forced to wait in Mexico for their asylum hearings. It will run from September 19 to October 21 at 18th Street Casa de Cultura in Pilsen.

The opening reception will feature a conversation between three bordadoras and Emmanuel Ortega of Art History at UIC. Register at the link in bio.

Invitation to “Celebrating 50 Years: The Making of Latin American and Latino Studies” at UIC | Sept. 5, 2:00-5:00 PM, Cardinal Room (Student Center East)

Dear LALS Community,

The Department of Latin American and Latino Studies will be celebrating its 50th anniversary in Fall 2024. We are proud to commemorate this exciting milestone. Founded in 1974, the department has come to be recognized as a leading center of teaching and research focused on Latin American and Latinx populations.

As part of our celebration, we are having a kick-off event on September 5 (2:00-5:00 PM, Cardinal Room, Student Center East). This event, “Celebrating 50 Years: The Making of Latin American and Latino Studies,” will explore the department’s birth out of student and community activism, as well as its development and contributions. The event will conclude with a toast, birthday cake, and reception. We invite you to come celebrate with us. For more information and to RSVP please go to: https://lals.uic.edu/events/celebrating-50-years-the-making-of-latin-american-and-latino-studies/

For information about all our 50th anniversary events, please go to: https://lals.uic.edu/lals-50th-anniversary/

We are very much looking forward to celebrating with you!

Best,

Jonathan Inda
Chair and Professor
Department of Latin American and Latino Studies

LALS Professor Xóchitl Bada is one of 8 featured leaders in the Chicago 2024 DNC Host Committee's "The Future is Built in Chicago" Neighborhood Spotlight Campaign. The campaign aims to highlight Chicago’s diverse community areas and the working people who reside in them. The campaign is live on digital billboards and street furniture throughout the city with a special emphasis on high-traffic areas where delegates and members of the media will are staying for the 2024 Democratic National Convention. So be on the look out for Prof. Bada.

https://chicago2024.com/news/chicago-2024-host-committee-unveils-the-future-is-built-in-chicago-neighborhood-spotlight-campaign/

Students! There is still room in LALS's very own Andreas Feldmann class on International Human Rights and Scholars at Risk for the Fall 2024 semester!

Students! There is still room in this class with LALS' very own Andreas Feldmann on International Human Rights and Scholars at Risk for Fall 2024!

Students! If you need another course(s) for your Fall schedule, here are some that may interest you!

LALS Students: Check out these two great classes we have in the fall.

For Graduate Students: Check out this call for papers from Latina/Latino Studies at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Latine Studies Graduate Student Conference | Department of Latina/Latino Studies | Illinois Image Reclaiming Insurgency October 24-25, 2024 Levis Faculty Center University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign History of Conference The first UIUC Latina/o Studies Graduate Student Conference, titled “Latinidad in the New Millenium: Bridging Borders In and Beyond Academia”, was held over .....

We are pleased to announce that the Mellon Foundation has approved a grant of $5,000,000 to the University of Illinois Chicago to continue support for Crossing Latinidades, a Latinx Studies research and training program for advanced graduate students and a network of public research intensive Hispanic-serving institutions. Congratulations to LALS colleagues Nena Torres, Daniel Borzutzky, Olga Herrera, and Amalia Pallares!

If you are a student looking for summer classes, we have room in LALS 102 Introduction to Latino Studies. Check out the attached flyer.

Congratulations to Dr. Xochitl Bada and Dr. Adam Goodman for receiving Awards for Creative Activity! Dr. Goodam received funds to translate The Deportation Regime into Spanish and Dr. Bada’s award will help her develop a multilingual app to disseminate information about migrant rights.

Recipients of Awards for Creative Activity | Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research | University of Illinois Chicago Recipients of Awards for Creative Activity Recipients of Awards for Creative Activity Heading link Copy link Listed below are the recipients from three rounds of the Awards for Creative Activity. 2024 Recipients Heading link Copy link NameDepartmentProject Title Yolanda Bada GarciaLatin American and...

Congratulations to our graduating MA students!

LALS Professor Julie Dowling did a great interview recently with NPR in Phoenix about changes to the race/ethnicity question on the US Census.

The U.S. census will now include a checkbox for 'Latino/Hispanic' under its race category For decades, Latinos have had no box to check under the race category on the U.S. census. There were options for white, Black, American Indian or Asian. So, Latinos would often check “other” or not answer the question at all. There’s long been a separate question for “Latino origin.”But no...

ATTENTION LATIN AMERICAN AND LATINO STUDIES (LALS) FALL 2023 AND SPRING 2024 GRADUATES:

LALS will be hosting a Degree Recognition Celebration to celebrate your achievements and hard work!

The event will take place on Friday, April 26th, starting at 5:00PM, at 18th Street Casa de la Cultura (2057 W 18th St, Chicago, IL 60608). All graduates attending are allowed to bring one (2) guest to this event. YOU AND YOUR GUEST MUST RSVP TO ATTEND! Please RSVP by April 15, and include your guest's names.

You can find the RSVP form using the QR on the flyer, or through this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfKqXUGkLiDJseZ2U3NVk3V_mrAYj3R03kl7m93xosUdkN4Bw/viewform

Check out Prof. Julie Dowling’s op-ed piece in the Los Angeles Times on the changes to the race question in the U.S. Census.

Opinion: Latinos are getting out of the 'other' box on the U.S. census A change in the way the government asks about race and ethnicity for those who identify as Latino or Hispanic means more accurate date for us all.

For over a decade, LALS Professor Julie Dowling and other scholars and activists have been working with the US Census to find ways to ask about race and ethnicity that better account for Latina/os. Today, the Office of Management and Budget announced major changes regarding the collection federal data on race and ethnicity. Instead of having separate race and ethnicity questions, there will now be one combined question that allows people to check all boxes that apply, including Latino/Hispanic and the new category Middle Eastern North African (MENA). This is a huge win all around for better data collection for Latinx and MENA communities.

Here’s the link to the release:

OMB Publishes Revisions to Statistical Policy Directive No. 15: Standards for Maintaining, Collecting, and Presenting Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity | OMB | The White House By Dr. Karin Orvis, Chief Statistician of the United States Earlier today, OMB published a set of revisions to Statistical Policy Directive No. 15 (Directive No. 15): Standards for Maintaining, Collecting, and Presenting Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity, the first since 1997. This process started....

LALS is happy to report that we have received a Mellon Foundation Affirming Multivocal Humanities grant to support our work!

Building Bridges with Latinx Studies A University of Illinois at Chicago grant story from the Mellon Foundation.

Congratulations to our wonderful community relations specialist Marta Ayala! This weekend she will be receiving an Alumni Certificate of Influence award from DePaul University, her alma mater.

Here is her bio for the event:

Marta Elena Ayala is Community Affairs Specialist II for the Latin American and Latino Studies Program at UIC. She serves as a community and media liaison, events and community research specialist, and internships coordinator. She came to UIC as the Coordinator for the Lectures in the Community series, a role allowing her to use her community engagement skills to build relationships between univeristies and community organizations. Born in México City, Chicago has been her home away from home for 53 years. She received her B.A. from DePaul University School for New Learning in Community Engagement. Her community and arts involvement begins with MARCh (Movimiento Artistico Chicano) working alongside José González. She is an ex-officio member of the Chancellor’s Committee on the Status of Latinos, an ambassador member for the Latino Cultural Center, and member of the Hilda López Ramos Scholarship Committee. Marta provides support for staff, both undergraduate and graduate students, and with student organizations including UPRS (Union for Puerto Rican Students), LPODER (Latino Planning Organization for Development, Education, and Regeneration), and LGSA (Latinx Graduate Student Association). She is a life long learner, a connecter, and community builder. Her passion beyond linking, networking and creating community, is supporting and advocating for the arts, students, faculty and staff at UIC and beyond. She recently received the Chancellor's Committee on the Status of Latinos Civil Service recognition award for her exemplary service and commitment to the Latinx/o community.

DePaul University SCPS Legacy Showcase Join us at the DePaul University SCPS Legacy Showcase to celebrate the achievements and impact of our past and present students!

On February 28, 2024, the Department of Latin American and Latino Studies hosted a teach-in focused on new migrant arrivals in Chicago. The event featured LALS faculty and students, as well as community organizers. The video is available on our departmental website.

LALS hosts teach-in highlighting migrant arrivals and activism in Chicago | Latin American and Latino Studies | University of Illinois Chicago LALS hosts teach-in highlighting migrant arrivals and activism in Chicago Posted on March 05, 2024 On February 28, 2024, the Department of Latin American and Latino Studies at UIC held an event that focused on the migrant arrivals to Chicago. The event was to bring awareness and to allow students, f...

It gives us great please to announce that LALS Professor Adam Goodman has ben awarded the UIC Rising Star Award in the Humanities, Arts, Design and Architecture. This award is bestowed on individuals who show exceptional promise to become future leaders. Congratulations!

Please join us for a celebration of LALS faculty books published over the last two years. The celebration will take place on Tuesday, January 23, from 12:00pm to 2:00pm, in University Hall 1501. To rsvp go to:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeGnxaNIwqcPBzhG_-2oBeMS8B7qNg3nbldkP-mfiOTclUzBg/viewform

Latin American and Latino Studies is excited to be hosting a symposium titled Child Migration Across the Americas. This will be a great opportunity to learn from and converse with people from campus and beyond doing work on this issue. Here is the information:

Child Migration Across the Americas Symposium

Tuesday, November 7, 2023, 8:45 AM - 4:45 PM

Institute for the Humanities | 153 BSB | 1007 W. Harrison Street, Chicago, IL 60607

This symposium aims to understand the past and present complexities of child migration in the Americas. It brings together UIC scholars, international researchers, activists, artists, and migrants. The event will feature a keynote by Reyna Grande, author of the bestselling memoir The Distance Between Us.

Register and learn more at: https://lals.uic.edu/events/child-migration-across-the-americas-symposium/

LALS participated in the UIC Open House and met many wonderful prospective students and their families. Here are a few pictures from the event. Dr. Barbara Sostaita, Dr. Joel Huerta, and Marta Ayala represented the department.

Dear LALS Community,
On August 20, 2023, our wonderful alumnus, Rigo Padilla, passed away after a battle with cancer. The Department of Latin American and Latino Studies wishes to express their condolences to his family and friends. LALS Professor Maria de los Angeles Torres has written a wonderful tribute that can be accessed at the link below.

In memory of LALS alumn Rigo Padilla | Latin American and Latino Studies | University of Illinois Chicago In memory of LALS alumn Rigo Padilla Rigo Heading link Copy link Rigo Padilla Pérez (1988-2023), College and Career Coach and Undocumented Student Support Specialist at Solorio Academy High School, has dedicated his life to ensuring that students of color obtain quality opportunities regardless of ...

Professor Esther Díaz Martín is featured in Sounding Out!

The sound studies blog Sounding Out! is currently featuring a series of posts submitted by the Latinx Sound Cultures Studies (LSCS) research working group. This week a post by Professor Esther Díaz Martín, co-written with graduate fellow Kristian E. Vasquez (UC Santa Barbara), ruminates on "Xicanacimiento: Life-Giving Sonics of Critical Consciousness." The post re-imagines the mixtape as a virtual Xicanx repertoire that can be open-ended and multigenerational encompassing songs and sonics that prompt critical consciousness about 500 años de lucha y resistencia. Check it out here: https://soundstudiesblog.com/

The LCSC working group is funded by the Crossing Latinidades Humanities Research Initiative through a grant sponsored by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Sounding Out! pushing sound studies into the red since 2009