Colombia: Peace Building Amid Persistence of Violence an virtual Symposium

About the event: 
This symposium brings together academics, practitioners, civil society and civic leaders to discuss the past, present and futures of Colombia. It sheds light on the country’s long experience with internal armed conflict, its recent effort to transition to a post-conflict stage, and the challenges and opportunities that the present juncture implies for the success of enduring peacebuilding efforts.

This three-day event welcomes academics, practitioners, students and other public interested in Colombia. To register, click here.

This symposium is part of the Colombian Studies Initiative, Colombia: Past, Present, and Futures. This is a collaboration between scholars from NYU and Universidad del Rosario (URosario) in Colombia, which brings together NYU’s Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies (CLACS) and the Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, in partnership with URosario’s Academic Vice-Provost Office, and the Peace, Conflict and Peace Research Center (Centro de Estudios en Conflictos y Paz). The goal of this collaboration is to raise awareness, deepen understanding and foster discussion among professors, students and community members interested in current challenges and opportunities affecting the peace process, democratic governance and sustainable development in Colombia.

 

The American Anthropological Association Annual Meeting

The AAA is holding their Annual Meeting online this November, live, and available for interactive participation. The conference is titled “Raising Our Voices,” and will be ongoing from November 5 to Saturday, November 13. Dr. Iris Lopez, Professor of Sociology and Director of the Latin American and Latinx Studies Program, at CCNY, will be giving her presentation on Wednesday, November 11. Below is a photo of the program for that day. The panel will focus on the movement for reproductive justice.

History of Sterilization Abuse: A Film Screening and Discussion with Dr. Iris López from City College

On November 5th, 2020, Bard College presents a screening of the classic film by Ana María García, La Operación (1982), followed by a discussion with Sociology Professor, Iris López, about Puerto Rico’s history of sterilization abuse. The event will be accessible via Zoom, from 6:30- 8:00 pm EST.

Update: This presentation was recorded and posted on the Bard College La Voz website. To access the discussion with Prof. Lopez, click HERE.

The event is organized by the La Voz Club, Bard College. For more information you can contact lavozoffice@gmail.com

Dr. López’s research on sterilization abuse of Puerto Rican women has highlighted crucial connections to globalization, reproductive freedom, and social justice.

Ofrenda Virtual in Celebration of Gloria Anzaldúa’s Work

This past October, 31, 2020, Prof. Mariana Romo-Carmona from LALS, presented a talk on the international one-day conference on the work of Gloria Anzaldúa, broadcast from Tecnológico de Monterrey, UNAM, Mexico. Dr. Romo-Carmona’s presentation discussed the contribution by the renowned Chicana lesbian academic in terms of organizing in Latinx U.S. communities, and her philosophies detailed in Borderland/La Frontera, as a territory that goes beyond ideologies. The presentation focused primarily on how the work is featured her courses taught at City College, in the Latin American & Latin@ Studies Program (LALS).

Below are some screenshots from various moments of the day-long conference, which featured speakers from Mexico, South America, and the U.S., including traditional musical presentations by the musical group, La bocona, and a moving rendition of the song, “La llorona,” sung by the daughters of one of the organizers.

The conference was organized and facilitated by Dr. Coco Gutierrez Magallanes, Dr. Javier Camargo Castillo, Dr. Norma Cantú, and Dr. Cora Jiménez Narcia. The artwork on the poster was donated by Chilean artist, Liliana Wilson, from Austin, Texas.

In order to view a recording of the conference, go to here!

Along with many of the presenters, Dr. Romo-Carmona also spoke about her own connection with Gloria Anzaldúa over the years, as a colleague and friend, and Latina lesbian writer.

The Conference closed with a reading of Gloria Anzaldúa’s poem, “Arriba mi gente,” and the powerful presentation by Dr. Raúl Contreras, from Chile, who connected the work of Gloria Anzaldúa to the events that have taken place in that country since the Estallido Social of October 18, 2019, and culminated with the passage of the referendum to write a new national constitution, by plebiscite vote this past October 25, 2020, in a nearly 80% vote of approval.

Poet and Academic, Prof. Moisés Park, from Baylor University

Professor Park returned to City College via Zoom to give a presentation in our Gender, Race, & Latinidad course, on October 27, this Fall. His presentation covered a number of issues dealing with identity, including masculinities, sexism, racism, Latinx identity, prejudices against Asian communities in the U.S. and in Latin America, and the inherited, “2nd-hand orientalism” expressed in Latinx and Latin American society. Drawing on the analysis from his article, “The Latin Dragon: Remasculinization of the ‘Oriental’ Male in Marko Zaror’s Films,” Professor Park talked about the martial arts films featuring the Chilean actor, Marko Zaror, who is of Palestinian descent, and the contradictions about Asian and Latinx identities in Chile and other countries in in Latin America.

Photo from Dr. Park’s last visit to our campus, Feb. 2019.

Having grown up in Santiago, Chile, in the Korean-Chilean community, Dr. Park also spoke about his experience as an Asian man in the U.S. You can read his poetry in Y el verso cae al aula and his other academic work on his academia.edu page.

You can get the link to watch the recording of our Zoom class under Guest Speakers.

Below are a few screenshots of our class during the presentation.

 

Neighborhood in Santiago, Chile

Left: stereotypical image from martial arts films; center, cover from Dr. Park’s poetry collection Y el verso cae al aula; right, part of our class on Zoom on Oct. 27, 2020.

Visual Artist and Illustrator Rachel Levit Ruiz Guest Speaker at LALS LatinAm & Caribbean Civ Class

When we talk about Latin American art we’re thinking about an artistic expression that emerges in South America, Central America, the Caribbean, and Mexico, as well as that of Latin Americans living in other regions. And we’re talking about art that has roots in the many different indigenous cultures that inhabited the Americas before European colonization in the 16th century. How contemporary art influences the work of artists in Latin America today, regardless of their individual and specific origins, is as varied as the artists themselves. What we examine when we think of Latin American and Caribbean civilization is a cultural connection with history. Contemporary artists are influenced by that connection, and it is the language of their art.

On October 22, we had the opportunity to listen to and view a PowerPoint presentation by Mexican artist, Rachel Levit Ruiz, and to ask some of these questions about the themes that inform her work. Ms. Levit Ruiz, who graduated from Parsons School of Design, is a well-known commercial artist whose work has been appearing regularly in publications in Latin America for the past few years, as well as The New York Times, the New Yorker, and the Google Doodle, among other print and electronic publications.

On our Guest Speakers page, you will be able to follow the link to a recording of the class via Zoom. This is available to students and faculty for educational purposes only. Below are some screenshots from the class. You can see more of Ms. Levit Ruiz’s work on her website and on Instagram

2020 CONFERENCE OF FORD FELLOWS

This year’s conference of Ford Fellows was titled Reclaiming Knowledge for an Equitable Future. It took place from October 8-10, 2020, in New York City, and gathered fellows of the Ford Foundation grants in a variety of disciplines.

Dr. Iris López, Director of the LALS Program at City College, participated in this year’s conference as part of New Fellows Orientation. Dr. López’s research on sterilization abuse of Puerto Rican women has highlighted crucial connections to globalization, reproductive freedom, and social justice. As an invited speaker and panelist at numerous U.S.-based and international conferences, Dr. López continues to present critical work and speak about her areas of expertise in Latino/ education, gender issues, pre-natal care, and sterilization abuse.

Professor Iris López, LALS Program Director

For the Fall 2020 semester, Professor López is teaching LALS 31136, Migration, Gender, and Health in Latinx Communities, and LALS 13100, The Hispanic Child in the Urban Environment. Next Spring semester, 2021, Dr. López will also be teaching LALS 13100, as well as LALS 31300, Latinas and Reproduction Rights.

Latinx/a/o Heritage Month – September-October 2020

Due to the pandemic, this Fall has started out very quietly at City College, with most of our classes in hybrid mode or completely online. Even so, LALS has a full schedule and our courses are running at full capacity. For Latinx Heritage, we have already had guest speakers join our classes on Zoom, and we are making the recordings of the sessions available to students. See our Guest Speakers page.

For the kickoff, LALS was represented by Prof. Norma Fuentes Mayorga, of the Sociology Department.

Have a great semester!