Emerson celebrates Hispanic/Latin American heritage

Emerson will observe National Hispanic/Latin American Heritage Month, September 15 to October 15, with a series of events ranging from lectures and a book signing to a party and a live performance. The month promises a celebration of the history, culture, and contributions of Americans whose ancestry originates from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and South America.

The celebration is especially significant this year because Amigos, Emerson’s Latino organization that sponsors most of the month’s events, is also marking its 20th anniversary. Amigos is dedicated to creating awareness of the Latino community at Emerson, and to serving the Latino community in the Greater Boston area.

The theme for this year’s Hispanic/Latin American Heritage Month at Emerson is “Honoring our past, sharing our present, and preserving our future,” and according to Amigos president Juan Castillo-Then, the events are all in line with that concept.

“Everyone deserves to be represented and recognized at Emerson,” said Castillo-Then. “Celebrating months like Hispanic Heritage Month, Black History Month, and all the other multicultural celebrations” is a way to show students from all different backgrounds that they’re an important part of the community.

The month’s events follow:

Let’s Celebrate Carnival Style will kick off the month’s events with a party featuring a live Latin band, mingling, and food from Latin American countries on Monday, September 19, 6:00–8:00 pm in the Cabaret.

Junot Díaz, an activist, educator, and Pulitzer Prize-winning author of the book The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, will deliver a guest lecture followed by a book signing on Tuesday, September 20, 6:00–8:00 pm at the Bill Bordy Theater. The event is co-sponsored by the Writing, Literature and Publishing Department.

Performing Arts Assistant Professor Christina Marín will deliver a lecture on “Echoes of Injustice: Performative Activism and the Femicide Plaguing Ciudad Juárez.” She will examine several of the challenges inherent in the insider/outsider position she occupies when engaging in research and artistic activism through theater and performance. The event takes place Tuesday, September 27, 6:00–8:00 pm at the Cabaret.

“Women of Sand: Testimonials of Women in Ciudad Juárez” is a theater production directed by Performing Arts Assistant Professor Christina Marín. Since 1993, hundreds of young women have been brutally raped, murdered, and left in the desert or in vacant lots in and around Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico. This production gives voice to these young women through the words of their mothers, sisters, and other family members who demand justice. This haunting staged reading will be followed by a talkback with the director and cast members. The event takes place Thursday, September 29, 6:00–8:00 pm in the Multipurpose Room, 150 Boylston Street.

Emerson Writing, Literature and Publishing Professor Flora Gonzalez will deliver a lecture on “Cuba and United States: Then & Now.” She’ll discuss U.S.-Cuba relations from the Spanish-American War in 1898 to the Missile Crisis in 1962 and what has transpired since. The event takes place Monday, October 3, 6:00–8:00 pm in the Charles Beard Room, 80 Boylston Street.