11th Unity Conference, 2006
Introspectiva: Latino Trends in the 21st Century
April 18, 19 2006
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Presenters are listed alphabetically by last name.
Dr. Maria Bermudez is an assistant professor of marriage and family therapy and is on the Women's Studies Counsel at Texas Tech University. She directs and assists students as they examine issues and factors that affect marriages in an increasingly complex world. Dr.Bermudez has conducted research, published reports, and gained practical experience as a case worker, intern, and therapist in various clinics, centers and hospitals. She serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Couple & Relationship Therapy. "We are not all born with the same privileges and opportunities, but I think if we surround ourselves with positive people, get involved, embrace the learning process, and have the determination to succeed, we can achieve anything.”
Attorney Susana De Leon works on issues in the areas of immigration, domestic violence, women’s empowerment and cultural resistance. She is a board member of the National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild.
De Leon has worked with a number of community organizations, including ISAIAH (a faith based pro-immigrant group), the Local Impacts Working Group (which passed resolutions in St. Paul and Minneapolis barring police questioning about immigration status), Mujeres Unidas, Centro Campesino, Immigrant Women Coalition Against Violence, Casa de Esperanza, Peacemaker Center, La Escuelita, and the Minnesota Human Rights Center.
Oscar
Flores
Dr. Oscar
Flores is a Professor of Economics and is Chair of the Economics
Department at Minnesota State University Moorhead. He has published on
immigration, trade, and local economic issues.
Jennifer Godinez is Executive Director of the MN College Access Network (MCAN) is an initiative of the Minnesota Minority Education Partnership. The goal of MCAN is to form a state-wide network to expand college access programs. MCAN will do this by leveraging local and national funds targeting “high opportunity” communities that are currently not meeting the higher education enrollment rates necessary for economic and social growth.
The work of MCAN is supported by local funders such as 3M and St. Paul Traveler’s and with technical assistance of the National College Access Network (NCAN). Under Godinez’ leadership, La Escuelita gained funding support and was recognized as a model after-school program by the National Association of Bilingual Educators. Jennifer gained recognition for her work with La Escuelita, on behalf of Latino youth, from the La Prensa community newspaper as “Community Leader of the Year 2004”. Jennifer is Chair of the first Latino Economic Development Center (LEDC) Latino scholarship program committee.
Efrain
Guerrero
Better known as "Happy," Mr. Guerrero is a top
Mexican-American comedian from Corpus Christi, Texas who has performed
in the US, Mexico, & Puerto Rico. He was the host of Galavision's "Que
Loco" comedy show in the first year of its existence. "Happy" provided
the "comedy color" at the Tejano Music Awards in 2001 and 2002.
Mr. Guerrero is a popular and effective motivational speaker in high school programs as well as corporate events, including Departments of Agriculture and Commerce in Washington D.C. among others. His perspective on cultural and regional traditions remind us of how similar, and how different, we are from each other. Happy provides a unique view a Latino culture and will help participants bring into focus a new meaning of self-importance. "They held a beauty pageant in my hometown. And nobody won!"
Mas Que Sueños (MQS)
MQS is
operated by Mujeres Unidas. MQS serves young Latinas ages 15-21 through
two programs, one at the Moorhead Senior High School and one at the RALC.
Their goal is to increase graduation rates and post-secondary
enrollment. The Panel: Jeanette Alvarez, Lety Alvarez, April
Carrillo, Sandra Gomez, Ashley Lopez
Dr. Rodriguez is a Professor in the Department of Chicano and Latino Studies at California State University, Long Beach. His articles appear in the Latino Encyclopedia (Marshall-Cavendish) and his essay, "Racialization of Puerto Rican Ethnicity," was published by the University of Puerto Rico Press. Also, Mexican-American and Puerto Ricans in Latino Social Movements, a book by Routledge Press, contains a chapter by Dr. Rodriguez. He contributes columns and journalistic pieces on Puerto Rican/Latino issues to numerous publications in the U.S., Latin America and the Caribbean. He is a nationally recognized speaker, trainer and consultant on diversity, cross-cultural relations, and Latino culture and society.
Teatro del Pueblo is a small, non-profit Latino theater located in St. Paul, MN. Fostered by the Latino community on the West Side, it has grown since its inception in 1992 to serve St. Paul, Minneapolis, the metro area and greater Minnesota. Teatro del Pueblo's mission is to promote cultural pride in the Latino community, to develop and support Latino talent, to educate the community at large about Latino culture and to promote cultural diversity in the arts.
