Post here if you attended the Afro-Latin@ Studies Panel in the College of Ethnic Studies at SFSU on Tuesday, April 20 from 2pm to 4pm. The participants included Professor Miriam Jimenez, Professor Juan Flores, Professor Nancy Mirabal and Professor Dawn-Elissa Fischer. It was a lively discussion!
((Pictured Below: Professor Roberto Rivera-- a SFSU Strike Veteran and professor of Latin@ Studies @ SFSU-- comments on the discussion.))
4 comments:
La Raza Studies Dept. at San Francisco State University's College of Ethnic Studies hosted a panel discussing the African Diaspora in Latin America. Along with Prof. Fischer; Prof. Flores, Prof. MIrabal, and Prof. Jimenez shared ideas of how important intersectionality among these two subjects are within the La Raza. This panel was brought on in an attempt to rename La Raza Studies to Latino/Latina Studies to encompass all aspects of the Latino/a experience. Here are excerpts from the professors on the panel giving their thoughts of the Afro-Latin presence.
http://doinit.bandcamp.com/track/afro-latin-forum-sfsu
This was a fascinating panel, which discussed the humble beginnings of the Black & Puerto Rican Studies department at Hunter College (NYC) in the ealry 70's, a department formed for "administrative convenience," and has become fertile ground for the intersectional study of race, politics, and bi-racial identity
This early collaboration has led to a thriving field of study, in which the background, identity, and life experience of a burgeoning Afro-Latino population is mined for holistic study.
When the floor opened up for discussion, there were some heated exchanges, proving that this is an issue that hits home with alot of people (in a great many disciplines, including music, psychology, anthropology, ethnic studies, etc.).
What has really stuck with me, though, is a statement made by MS. Ramirez, who pointed out that, though "race is a social construction, racism is a social reality" that affects us all, regardless of whether we validate it's abstract roots.
This was a fascinating panel, which discussed the humble beginnings of the Black & Puerto Rican Studies department at Hunter College (NYC) in the ealry 70's, a department formed for "administrative convenience," and has become fertile ground for the intersectional study of race, politics, and bi-racial identity
This early collaboration has led to a thriving field of study, in which the background, identity, and life experience of a burgeoning Afro-Latino population is mined for holistic study.
When the floor opened up for discussion, there were some heated exchanges, proving that this is an issue that hits home with alot of people (in a great many disciplines, including music, psychology, anthropology, ethnic studies, etc.).
What has really stuck with me, though, is a statement made by MS. Ramirez, who pointed out that, though "race is a social construction, racism is a social reality" that affects us all, regardless of whether we validate it's abstract roots.
This panel discussion was very informative. I had never thought about crossing the disciplines of Africana and Latin@ studies prior to attending this discussion. I appreciated the passion expressed by the speakers. It was also very interesting to listen to the exchanges between panel members and other students. I gained a new perspective on exploring black diaspora and applying it to everyday life.
Post a Comment