Eastern to Host Third Latin American and Caribbean Conference
Willimantic, CT (10/03/2018) — Eastern Connecticut State University will host its third Latin American and Caribbean Studies (LACS) Conference on Oct. 12 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. in the Student Center Theatre. The conference is free and open to the public. Registration will occur at 8:30 a.m.
The conference will consist of four panels discussing a variety of topics, from military regimes during the Cold War to modern day media portrayals of immigration. The event will culminate with a keynote presentation by Lizabeth Paravisini-Gebert of Vassar College, who will speak on the recovery of the forests of Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria.
"The LACS Conference provides an opportunity for Eastern faculty to share their research on themes related to Latin America, the Caribbean and the experience of Hispanics in the United States," said Anthropology Professor Ricardo Pérez, conference co-organizer and coordinator of the Latin American and Caribbean Studies Program.
The first panel includes book talks by Eastern Professors Mary Kenny (anthropology) and Dennis Canterbury (sociology), who recently authored books on Brazilian Quilombos (Afro-Brazilian settlements) and "Neoextractivism," respectively. The second panel, starting at 10 a.m., is titled "Cold War Politics: Latin America and Beyond" and feature presentations by professors Patrick Vitale (geography) and Joan Meznar (history).
The third panel, starting at 11 a.m., is titled "The Comical and the Serious: On Latino Identities in the United States" and features presentations by professors Miriam Chirico (English) and Isabel Logan (social work). The fourth panel, starting at 12 p.m., features Eastern students in a presentation titled "The DREAMER's Dream: Media Narratives and their Impact on the Immigrant Rights Movement."
The keynote presentation by visiting professor Paravisini-Gebert will begin at 1 p.m. Each panel will conclude with a Q&A session where the conference's many scholars and presenters may be addressed.
"The LACS Conference supports the curriculum of the Latin American and Caribbean Studies minor," said Pérez. "It expands the scope of the lessons that faculty cover in the classroom and sheds light on important developments occurring in the Latin American and the Caribbean region."
For further information, contact conference organizers Christine Garcia at garciachris@easternct.edu or Ricardo Pérez at perezr@easternct.edu.
Written by Michael Rouleau
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Eastern Connecticut State University is the state of Connecticut's public liberal arts university, serving more than 5,300 students annually at its Willimantic campus and satellite locations. In addition to attracting students from 163 of Connecticut's 169 towns, Eastern also draws students from 26 other states and 20 other countries. A residential campus offering 40 majors and 65 minors, Eastern offers students a strong liberal art foundation grounded in an array of applied learning opportunities. Ranked the 25th top public university in the North Region by U.S. News and World Report in its 2018 Best College ratings, Eastern has also been awarded 'Green Campus' status by the Princeton Review eight years in a row. For more information, visit www.easternct.edu.
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