On Tuesday, March 8th at Morrisson-Reeves Library (5:30 in the Bard Room), students and the Richmond community will have an opportunity to view episode 6, Peril and Promise, capping the film series of the Latino Americans: 500 Years of History. But while this is the last video in the series, the program of cultural conversation started last year still has more events to attend, including Dia del Nino in April. For those who can’t attend the screening, the video is available online. But for those that can, Latin American food will be available, and IU East Spanish professor Dr. Christine Nemcik will lead a discussion after the film. This installment focuses on the 1980s through the turn of the century, recounting the second wave of immigration in the Latino Diaspora, the increasing effects of globalization on transnational movement, the controversies over illegal immigration and national sovereignty, and the development of a vibrant Hispanic popular culture, reaching from music to sports to education. All of it leads to a question – what happens next, and how do we help shape this future?
To answer that, you’ll need more than to see a few films. And for research, the library is the place to be. From specialized databases dedicated to the study Latin American and Hispanic culture – Informe Revistas en Espanol, Latin American Women Writers, Latino Literature: Poetry, Drama, and Fiction, and Sabin Americana, 1500-1926 – to resources perfect for cultural study, such as numerous Spanish-language films available for checkout, there’s a lot to take in.
But chances are the issues and topics depicted specifically in Peril and Promise will inspire your curiosity. You might be touched by the Mariel exodus from Cuba, and want to study further the experiences of the refugees. For that, we have plenty of scholarly articles. Additionally, you might benefit from books like Florida and the Mariel Boatlift of 1980: The First Twenty Days by Kathleen Hawk or This Land Is Our Land by Alex Stepick. Or perhaps you are interested in the effects of the NAFTA act on Mexican immigration. Books like Ethical Borders: NAFTA, Globalization, and Mexican Migration by Bill Hing and The Children of NAFTA by David Bacon perfectly compliment hundreds of articles. Or maybe you’re interested in the effects of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of the 1980s. Again, you’ll have your choice of articles or books like Immigration Law and the U.S -Mexico Border: ¿Si se Puede? by Kevin Johnson. Or perhaps you’re inspired by one of the people that bring this history to life, such as Willie Velásquez. There’s plenty of books like Life and Times of Willie Velásquez: Su Voto Es Su Voz by Juan Sepulveda and biographical and critical material to satisfy any scholar.
For any help with research, ask us at iueref@iue.edu. And for more information on the film series, see our libguide or contact us at liblearn@iue.edu!
Latino Americans: 500 Years of History, is a public programming initiative produced and funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) & the American Library Association.
