The 26th annual Latino/a/x Issues Conference will be taking place Wednesday, March 23 at 9 a.m. in the Bowen Thompson Student Union.
This year’s conference will feature the eSTRELLA Student Research Conference and Keynote Speaker Dr. Jade Power-Sotomayor. Dr. Power-Sotomayor is a Cali-Rican educator, scholar and performer who works as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Theatre and Dance at UC San Diego.
She utilizes her platform and Latinx performance to address crucial issues like anti-Blackness, xenophobia, mental health access, patriarchy and misogyny, and queer and transphobia as well as many other prominent social issues.
Dr. Power-Sotomayor’s keynote speech, which is titled “Bámbula: Re-remembering the Place of Dancing in Latinx Life,”is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. in the Lenhart Grand Ballroom.
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The Latino/a/x Issues Conference began in April 1995 through the Office of Multicultural Affairs. It was established to provide spaces to engage in discourse related to issues among Latino/a/x communities as well as a space for celebration of Latino/a/x identity through history and culture.
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Conference organizer and Associate Professor of Ethnic Studies Dr. Luis Moreno said the LIC gives a voice to Latinx students, faculty and community members.
“The conference provides a space to share our research about Latina/o/x in the US and Latin America, celebrate our history, and share our concerns about Latina/o/x issues,” Moreno said in an email.
The Conference will feature a series of sessions throughout the day, including those titled:
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Race, Displacement, and Regaining
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Religion, Authoritarianism, and Art
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Embodied Encounters with Cleaved Spaces
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Solidarity, Art, and Student-led Activism in Action
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Cultural Performances of Identity and Empowerment in Latin America.
The Conference will be concluded with a Latino/a/x Mixer hosted by Latino Student Union at 5:30 p.m. in BTSU 207 Mylander Room.
Dr. Moreno hopes those that attend the conference will become allies and help to empower Latino/a/x people on campus and in the community.
“We hope that every student, staff, faculty, and community member gain some knowledge about the history, culture, and struggles of Latina/o/xs,” he said.
Dr. Power-Sotomayor’s keynote speech will be streamed live on BGSU’s YouTube channel, scheduled for noon.