The University of Alabama is celebrating the 53rd annual Hispanic-Latinx Heritage Month with art, books, film and dancing as well as discussions about identity, assimilation and much more.
The heritage month, which is celebrated from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, was created to recognize the contributions of the Hispanic-Latinx community during the civil rights movement. The Sept. 15 start date was chosen in honor of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua achieving their independence from Spain on Sept. 15, 1821.
Here’s a look at upcoming UA events.
‘Border South’ Film Screening / Hostile Terrain 94 Exhibit Tour
What? At the conclusion of the documentary screening, attendees can visit Maxwell Hall to see the art exhibit and opening of Hostile Terrain 94, which honors those who died in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona while attempting to cross the U.S.-Mexico border. Registration is required. The event is sponsored by the Intercultural Diversity Center and the UA Department of Latin American, Caribbean and Latinx Studies.
When? Sept. 13, 4:30-6 p.m. (film screening), Intercultural Diversity Center; 6:15-8 p.m. (Exhibit Tour), Maxwell Hall
Hostile Terrain 94 (HT94) Exhibit
What? HT94 is a participatory art exhibition that illuminates the humanitarian crisis occurring at the U.S.-Mexico border. In 1994, the U.S. Border Patrol launched the immigration enforcement strategy Prevention Through Deterrence (PTD). Undocumented migrants were funneled through treacherous environments, dubbed as “hostile terrain” by U.S. Border Patrol. Registration is required. Hosted by the Department of Geography.
When? Sept. 14-Oct. 15, Tuesday-Thursday, 4-7 p.m. with extended hours Oct. 15, Maxwell Hall
TEDTalk Tuesdays: ‘Intersectionality & Latinx as Digital Disruptions of Identity in the Media’
What? Participants will learn the current state of intersectional representation in media and its vast importance to identity formation. Dr. Nathian Rodriguez is a media studies professor within the School of Journalism and Media Studies at San Diego State University. The event is sponsored by the Intercultural Diversity Center.
When? Sept. 14, noon-1 p.m., Intercultural Diversity Center
Hostile Terrain 94 (HT94) Exhibit
What? Hostile Terrain 94 (HT94) is a participatory art project sponsored and organized by the Undocumented Migration Project (UMP), a nonprofit research-art-education-media collective, directed by anthropologist Jason De León. The exhibition is composed of more than 3,200 handwritten toe tags that represent migrants who died trying to cross the Sonoran Desert of Arizona between the mid-1990s and 2019. The event is sponsored by the Intercultural Diversity Center and the UA Department of Latin American, Caribbean and Latinx Studies.
When? Sept. 15-Oct. 15, 4-7 p.m., Maxwell Hall
Social Justice Movie Series: ‘Stolen Education: The Legacy of Hispanic Racism in Schools’
What? As a 9-year-old second-grader, Lupe was forced to remain in the first grade for three years, not because of her academic performance but solely because she was Mexican American. She was one of eight young students who testified in a federal court case in 1956 to end the discriminatory practice (Hernandez et al. v. Driscoll Consolidated Independent School District), one of the first post-Brown desegregation court cases to be litigated. Registration is required. The event is sponsored by the Intercultural Diversity Center.
When? Sept. 17, 7 p.m., Intercultural Diversity Center and virtual
‘Signs Preceding the End of the World’ Book Discussion
What? The book highlights the border between Mexico and the United States and those who cross it. The author, Yuri Herrera, explores the crossings and translations people make in their minds and language as they move from one country to another, especially when there’s no going back. The event is sponsored by the UA Latin American, Caribbean, Latinx Studies Program and the Intercultural Diversity Center.
When? Sept. 20, 3:30-5:30 p.m., Intercultural Diversity Center
TEDTalk Tuesdays: ‘(de)Americanization of Latino Youth’
What? Participants will learn about the challenges Latinos face when being the children of immigrants and the ways Latinos navigate different spaces to have a voice. The event is sponsored by the Intercultural Diversity Center.
When? Sept. 21, noon-1 p.m.. Intercultural Diversity Center
¡Baile!
What? Join the Latinx Faculty and Staff Association, Education Abroad and University Programs for an evening of salsa dancing, food and music.
When? Sept. 23, 4-6 p.m., Ferguson Center Plaza
Social Justice Movie Series: ‘Coco’
What? This film highlights a boy named Miguel who dreams of becoming a famous guitar player, despite the misgivings of his close-knit family. When his lofty ambitions cause him to run afoul of a curse, he must journey into the Land of the Dead to seek forgiveness from his ancestors. The event is sponsored by the Intercultural Diversity Center.
When? Sept. 24, 7 p.m., Intercultural Diversity Center and virtual
Lisa Dillman Virtual Keynote
What? Lisa Dillman will discuss her award-winning translation of Yuri Herrera’s “Signs Preceding the End of the World.” Dillman, who teaches in the department of Spanish and Portuguese at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, won the 2016 Best Translated Book Award for Herrera’s “Signs.” The event is sponsored by the UA Latin American, Caribbean, Latinx Studies Program and the Intercultural Diversity Center. Registration is required.
When? Sept. 27, 4 p.m., Zoom
‘A Line Birds Cannot See’ Film Showing and Discussion
What? In the film, a woman (E.L.) recounts the perilous journey to the U.S. from Guatemala that she took as a child. Growing up in a tiny village high in the mountains of Guatemala, she was just a child when her mother got up the strength to flee a violent home, and she was thrust into a journey that would forever change her. After a smuggler separated mother and daughter, E’s life honed on a single goal — surviving so she could find her mother again. The event is sponsored by the Women and Gender Resource Center and the Intercultural Diversity Center.
When? Sept. 28, 5 p.m., 3111 Ferguson Student Center
Contact
Jamon Smith, UA Strategic Communications, jamon.smith@ua.edu