Conference to examine ‘Latin Americanist’ topics

BOWLING GREEN, O.—Bowling Green State University will host the 10th annual Ohio Latin Americanist Conference Friday and Saturday (Feb. 18 and Feb. 19). The event will highlight Latin American and Latino/a studies through a variety of panel discussions, a documentary screening, guest speakers and other events in the Bowen-Thompson Student Union and the Planetarium.

The conference will be held from 12:30-6:15 p.m. Friday and from 9:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. and 3:30-7:15 p.m. Saturday.  It is free and open to the public.

The documentary “9500 Liberty” about the devastating social and economic effects of anti-immigration laws will be presented at 7:15 p.m. Friday in the Gish Film Theater in Hanna Hall. A reception will follow in the Women’s Center (108 Hanna Hall).

On Saturday, keynote speaker Dr. Ana Patricia Rodriguez will present “’Los 30’: Documenting 30 Years of the Salvadoran Diaspora, 1980-2010,” at 2 p.m. Saturday in 228 Union. Rodriguez is an associate professor in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at the University of Maryland, College Park.

Dr. Dale Smith, a BGSU professor of physics and astronomy, will present a research discussion on “Capturing the Cosmos: Mesoamerican Stars, Sun and Planets,” at 6:45 p.m. Saturday in the BGSU Planetarium.

In addition, over both days of the conference, students and scholars from the region will present more than 100 scholarly papers in a series of 28 panel discussions.

The conference will wind up with a dance at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in the Clazel Theatre, 127 N. Main St. in Bowling Green, featuring salsa music by “Sammy De Leon y Su Orquestra.”

The BGSU Institute for the Study of Culture and Society’s Latin America and Latino/a Studies Cluster has organized the events. For the full program, visit http://blogs.bgsu.edu/olac/program/ or contact Drs. Amy Robinson at 419-372-2168 or Francisco Cabanillas at 419-372-2469.

###

(Posted February 15, 2011 )