The CUNY Mexican Studies Institute

Research Report “Food Apartheid and the Retail Food Environment in The Bronx” by Aissatou Barry This report was produced through the Bronx Educational Literacy Initiative (BELI), a community-based program led by the CUNY Mexican Studies Institute and the New York City Writing Project. BELI advances educational opportunities by engaging the power of multiple literacies and supporting research on issues impacting Bronx communities. MSI Archives & Library collects, organizes and preserves bibliographical sources documenting the Mexican, Mexican-American and Latinx experience in New York, and helps identify research lines that generate meaningful data on local, national and international issues. Consult our Academic Works site at https://academicworks.cuny.edu/msi_pubs/
Aissatou Barry is a student at Lehman College. Learn more about this research on the link in our bio.

LAST WEEK TO APPLY!
Summer 2026 MSI Research Fellowship for Graduate Students
 
This fellowship offers advanced graduate students and early-career scholars a $500 stipend and editorial support to produce written academic work in the fields of Mexican and Mexican American Studies, Latinx and Ethnic Studies, Migration Studies, Critical Sociolinguistics, Language Policy, or other within the Institute’s main research fields.
 
This fellowship is intended for projects already underway, such as revised seminar papers or ongoing research. It offers a pathway to transform existing work into a polished, publishable format, with an emphasis on clarity, contribution, and accessibility rather than formal peer-review expectations.
 
Two fellows will be selected for the Summer 2026 cycle, which runs from July 1 to September 15. Final submissions will be published in the Mexican Studies Institute Research and Publications series.
 
Submit your application by June 7: https://forms.gle/pvAsYAbgjtWoArja7
 

Les compartimos unas imágenes de lo que fue “El fotolibro como proceso social: Conversatorio entre Marco Garro y Musuk Nolte ” acontecido en la Librería Pública de Nueva York el pasado 14 de mayo.

Marco Garro, fotógrafo y artista visual cuyo trabajo se centra en problemáticas sociales, derechos humanos y cuestiones medioambientales, principalmente en los Andes y la Amazonía del Perú, dedicó más de quince años a investigar historias vinculadas al extractivismo minero en distintas regiones del país, con especial énfasis en Cerro de Pasco, considerado uno de los lugares más contaminados del mundo.
Como parte de su proceso de investigación y documentación, recolectó muestras de agua tóxica de la laguna de Quiulacocha para utilizarlas en el revelado de fotografías tomadas en el entorno y entre las comunidades afectadas. El resultado fueron imágenes atravesadas por manchas, corrosiones y texturas que evocan el deterioro que sufren los cuerpos al entrar en contacto con metales pesados, detectados en diversos análisis de sangre y cabello realizados a habitantes de la región.
Su libro Quiulacocha busca visibilizar los efectos corrosivos de la minería tanto en los cuerpos humanos como en el paisaje, revelando aquello que con frecuencia permanece oculto o que la sociedad prefiere ignorar.
El proyecto fue publicado por la editorial peruana KWY Ediciones y realizado gracias al apoyo del programa de becas de la National Geographic Society, en colaboración con la plataforma de periodismo de investigación Ojo Público. Actualmente, el libro se encuentra disponible para consulta en la New York Public Library.

📸 Nyoman Cerrens /

ASCO: WITHOUT PERMISSION // Theatrical Release in NYC 🎬
May 22nd-28th
Village East by Angelika Theater, 181-189 2nd Ave.
 
🎬 Following the Friday, May 22nd screening at 7:30pm, there will be a Q&A with Director Travis Gutiérrez Senger, Moderator Marcela Guerrero (Whitney Museum of Art) and Artist Gabriela Ruiz (Whitney Biennial 2026).
 
🎬 Following the Saturday, May 23rd screening at 7:30pm, there will be a Q&A with Director Travis Gutiérrez Senger and special guests TBA. 
 
 ASCO: Without Permission challenges the limits of documentary conventions to tell the story of a revolutionary Chicano art group who turned 1970s LA into their defiant canvas. Merging activism with radical art-making, ASCO challenged the established order of Hollywood, museums, and media and are now considered amongst the 20th century’s most significant artists. Director Travis Gutiérrez Senger mirrors their boundary-breaking spirit through a groundbreaking approach, weaving nonfiction and fiction together with a new generation of artists. The result is more than a profile — it’s a reimagining of what’s possible in art and cinema, celebrating iconoclasts who were decades ahead of their time.

On May 2, we celebrated the first CUNY-wide Mexican American Commencement, a landmark event recognizing the academic achievements and cultural identity of nearly 200 graduates across CUNY

Held at the Center for the Performing Arts at Lehman College , the ceremony brought together students from the Class of 2026, representing a wide range of academic programs across 14 CUNY institutions:
Inspired by student advocacy and developed in collaboration with Dr. Lizbeth de la Cruz Santana , the initiative responds to the need to recognize and make visible the Mexican-American student experience within CUNY, particularly in a broader sociopolitical context where representation remains uneven.
The ceremony featured remarks from Dr. José Higuera López , Director of the Institute ; Fidel Malena, representing the State of New York; NYC Council Members Pierina Sanchez  and Justin Sanchez ; Dr. Fernando Delgado, President of Lehman College ; and a surprise appearance by Peso Pluma , who joined as class sponsor.

Beyond individual achievement, the ceremony recognized the collective journeys behind each graduate: families, migration stories, and the resilience that shaped their paths.

📷 CUNY MSI

🗣️ Fall 2026 Registration Open: Mixteco I & Nahuatl I

Interested in learning Nahuatl or Mixteco languages? Join our online courses taught in Spanish this fall!

✨ Mixteco Elementary I
🗓 Mondays & Thursdays
⏰ 8:00 – 9:40 AM (EST)
📅 Starts August 28

✨ Nahuatl Elementary I
🗓 Wednesdays & Fridays
⏰ 10:00 AM – 11:40 PM (EST)
📅 Starts August 28

🎓 For CUNY, NYU & Columbia students:
You must also complete your school’s e-permit process. To receive credit, enrollment in both Elementary I & II is required.

📖 For non-degree students:
A $25 registration fee (via Lehman College Foundation) applies if you don’t need academic credit.

📩 Questions? Email: [email protected]