Guest Speaker Launches Hispanic Heritage Month
An author who specializes in race studies and analyzes representations of Latino youth in American media will speak at the kick-off event for Alma College’s Hispanic Heritage Month celebration.
Nicole Guidotti-Hernandez, associate director of the Center for Mexican American Studies at the University of Texas in Austin, presents “Child Citizen Subjects: From Dora the Explorer to the Dream Activists” at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 13 in the Dow Science Center Room L-4.
The talk is free and open to the public.
Nicole Guidotti-Hernandez
Guidotti-Hernandez is the author of several academic articles on the media representation of Hispanics. In one of her articles, she analyzes the images of Dora the Explorer, the animated seven-year-old Latina girl who is the main character in a popular bilingual cartoon that appeared on a children’s television network.
"Given that the presidential election is just around the corner and that the Obama administration has set records for deportations with 396,906 deportees from October 2010 through September of 2011, it is only fitting that we take seriously the role of Latino children as citizen-subjects,” says Guidotti-Hernandez.
“From Dora the Explorer to the Dream activists, Latino youth have become a critical site for thinking through the question of citizenship and rights,” she says. “Such topics will make for an important conversation for Hispanic Heritage Month."
Guidotti-Hernandez also is the author of a book, Unspeakable Violence: Remapping U.S. and Mexican National Imaginaries, published in 2011, that addresses the physical violence inflicted on Mexicans, Chicanos and Native Americans in the U.S.-Mexico borderlands from the mid-19th century through the early 20th century and how it produced particular versions of nationhood.
An associate professor of American studies at the University of Texas, Guidotti-Hernandez is a former Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Center for Race, Politics and Culture at the University of Chicago.
Fiesta/Baile Offers Information Fair, Music, Zumba
Hispanic Heritage Month continues Sept. 21 with a Fiesta/Baile in the Tyler-VanDusen Commons. The celebration begins at 3 p.m. and continues into the evening with student and faculty presentations, live mariachi music, and dance and Zumba demonstrations. Admission is free and open to the public for most events. Dinner is $8 per adult, $5 for students, and free for children 12 and under.
A performer from the 2011 Fiesta/Baile at Alma College.
“Our goal is to bring positive recognition to the contributions of Hispanic cultures and to make students more aware of the connections we have on campus,” says Stephany Slaughter, assistant professor of modern languages at Alma College. “We are especially pleased to welcome Vicente Sancez, the Consul General from the Mexican Consulate in Detroit, to our fiesta this year. The fiesta also will have activities for children.”
The Alma College Hispanic Coalition sponsors Hispanic Heritage Month activities. Other activities are planned on campus through Oct. 15. All events are open to the public.
Alma College Hispanic Heritage Month Calendar of Events
Sept. 15 through Oct. 15, 2012
All Saturdays, beginning Sept. 8/”Cuéntame un Cuento: Spanish Story Time” takes place at 10 a.m. every Saturday from Sept. 8 through Nov. 17 at the Alma Public Library.
Sept. 13/Author Nicole Guidotti-Hernandez, associate director of the Center for Mexican American Studies at the University of Texas in Austin, presents “Child Citizen Subjects: From Dora the Explorer to the Dream Activists” at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 13 in the Dow Science Center Room L4 at Alma College. The talk, which kicks off Hispanic Heritage Month at Alma College, is free and open to the public.
Sept. 21/The Alma College Hispanic Coalition sponsors the annual Hispanic Heritage Month Fiesta/Baile and information fair Friday, Sept. 21 in the Tyler-VanDusen Campus Center. Open to the public, the celebration begins at 3 p.m. and continues into the evening with food, live mariachi music, dancing and Zumba demonstrations. Admission for all events except dinner is free. Dinner is $8 per adult, $5 for students and free and children 12 and under.
Oct. 4/A screening of “La Raza Unida,” a documentary from the History of Voting in America film series about the first national convention in 1972 of the La Raza Unida Party, takes place at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 5 in Swanson Academic Center Room 113. A panel discussion follows the film.
Oct. 5/A career exploration, graduate school and off-campus studies fair — Career Explo 2012 — takes place from 3 to 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 5 in the Stone Recreation Center.
Oct. 6/The Alma College Hispanic Coalition team runs in the Matt Reinke 5k Scot Trot on Alma College’s homecoming Saturday, Oct. 6. All are welcome to join. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. near the Smith Alumni House. Proceeds go to the Matt Reinke Scholarship fund.
Oct. 8 through Nov. 8/The Flora Kirsch Beck Gallery at Alma College showcases the artwork of Margaret Vega, professor at Kendall College of Art and Design, from Monday, Oct. 8 through Thursday, Nov. 8. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. A gallery reception takes place from 7 to 9 p.m. Nov. 8.
Oct. 12/Día de la Raza (Columbus Day) is observed with “Mezclas Musicales/Musical Mixes,” a musically based reflection on race and ethnicity, followed by International Karaoke/open mic night. Time and place to be determined.
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Posted: Fri, August 31st, 2012 at 1:58PM
