Baylor Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month With ‘The Latino Experience: A Conversation About U.S. Latinos’
Follow us on Twitter: @BaylorUMedia
Media contact: Terry Goodrich, (254) 710-3321
WACO, Texas (Oct. 16, 2015) – As part of Hispanic Heritage Month, Baylor University’s Multicultural Department, Hispanic Student Association and the department of journalism, public relations and new media in the College of Arts & Sciences will present “The Latino Experience: A conversation about U.S. Latinos” at 2 p.m. Monday, Oct. 19, in the Martin Museum of Art.
“The speakers at this event will tell us of their personal experiences, what is was like growing up Latino, their works and their views on immigration and different topics to be brought up by individuals in attendance,” said Steven Rodriguez, president of the Hispanic Student Association.
Panelists include celebrated author Reyna Grande and columnist Ruben Navarrette. Laura Hernandez, J.D., professor at the Baylor Law School, will moderate. They will discuss current issues facing Latinos, such as immigration, political power and education. There also will be a question-and-answer session.
“Our speakers boast resumes that we felt would greatly contribute to the event,” Rodriguez said. “Reyna Grande, author, speaks of the struggles she faced entering the U.S. as an illegal immigrant and in her stories and memoirs. Ruben Navarrette, author and syndicated columnist, writes about important policies that affect Hispanics in the U.S.”
Grande is an international, award-winning novelist and memoirist. She has received an American Book Award, the El Premio Aztlán Literary Award and the Latino Book Award. In 2012, she was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Awards. Her novels include “Across a Hundred Mountains,” “Dancing with Butterflies” and “The Distance Between Us.”
Navarette is a member of the USA TODAY Board of Contributors, a nationally syndicated columnist with The Washington Post Writers Group and a regular commentator on National Public Radio. He is the author of “A Darker Shade of Crimson: Odyssey of a Harvard Chicano” and a weekly commentator for CNN online.
“The Latino Experience will allow individuals to gain a greater appreciation and understanding on the thoughts of and struggles faced by many Hispanics throughout the country,” Rodriguez said. “By educating others, we hope to combat cultural ignorance and produce a more culturally accepting environment.”
The event coincides with the current exhibit of Latino art at the Martin Museum of Art, titled “Selections from the Joe A. Diaz Collection with work by Luis Jiménez.”
“Latinos are a growing population in the United States, yet their stories are often reduced to those of census numbers or immigration,” said Macarena Hernández, The Fred Hartman Distinguished Professor of Journalism and Hispanic Student Association faculty advisor. “This forum provides an opportunity to engage in an informative conversation about a population that is helping shape the identity and culture of this country.”
This event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be available following the event.
The Martin Museum of Art is located inside the Hooper Schaefer Fine Arts Center at 60 Baylor Ave.
For more information, contact Steven Rodriguez.
by Ashton Brown, student newswriter, (254) 710-6805
ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution, characterized as having “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The University provides a vibrant campus community for approximately 16,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. Baylor sponsors 19 varsity athletic teams and is a founding member of the Big 12 Conference.
ABOUT BAYLOR COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES
The College of Arts & Sciences is Baylor University’s oldest and largest academic division, consisting of 24 academic departments and 13 academic centers and institutes. The more than 5,000 courses taught in the College span topics from art and theatre to religion, philosophy, sociology and the natural sciences. Faculty conduct research around the world, and research on the undergraduate and graduate level is prevalent throughout all disciplines. Visit www.baylor.edu/artsandsciences.
ABOUT MARTIN MUSEUM OF ART
The museum’s mission is one of education and service by bringing outstanding art exhibitions, speakers and guest artists to Baylor University and Central Texas. The museum serves as a valuable teaching tool for students and faculty. Exhibitions complement the courses of art history and studio art taught within Baylor’s department of art. The permanent collection consists of approximately 1,300 objects representing a variety of art that has been donated to or purchased by Baylor. The collection contains art by such well-known artists as Robert Rauschenberg, Kathe Kollwitz, Francisco de Goya, and Edouard-Leon Cortes. Included in the collection are approximately 300 paintings by famous watercolor artists, among them George Post, Phil Dike, Edgar Whitney and John Marin.