Friday, September 30, 2016 (Live streaming video here)

Using US Census Bureau definitions and data, Hispanics or Latinxs, represented “over half” the total increase in U.S. population between 2000 and 2010, and the Pew Hispanic Center estimates that by 2050, Hispanics will constitute 29% of the U.S. population. Mexicans comprised nearly 75% of Hispanic increases, and more than half of the U.S. Hispanic population resided in three states: California, Texas, and Florida. These demographics reveal the potential power that both immigrants and native-born community members can wield in the political process. Issues such as immigration reform and paths to citizenship; affordable education; supportive services for families; criminal justice reform, and addressing economic inequality have risen to the forefront as important issues in the 2016 presidential campaign. Yet, within this group are people of Mexican, Cuban, Puerto Rican, and Central and South American heritage, and while they share connections through iterations of the Spanish language, there are notable differences regarding class, cultural practices, beliefs, and values. This conversation brings together a diverse group of panelists to explore: intersections of ethnicity, race, class, gender, and religion; how these factors affect Hispanic communities; and the role they could play in American politics.

Recommended Books

• Saenz, Rogelio, and María Cristina Morales. Latinos in the United States : Diversity and Change. Cambridge, UK ; Malden, MA: Polity Press, 2015.
• Abrajano, Marisa, and R. Michael Alvarez. New Faces, New Voices : The Hispanic Electorate in America. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 2010.
• Sanchez, Gabriel (ed.) Latinos and the 2012 Election : The New Face of the American Voter. Latinos in the United States Series. East Lansing: Michigan State University Press, 2015.
• Affigne, Tony, Evelyn Hu-DeHart, and Marion Orr. Latino Politics En Ciencia Política : The Search for Latino Identity and Racial Consciousness. New York: New York University Press, 2014.
• Gutiérrez, Gabriel. Latinos and Latinas at Risk : Issues in Education, Health, Community, and Justice. Santa Barbara, California: Greenwood, An Imprint of ABC-CLIO, LLC, 2015.
• Salinas, Lupe S. U.S. Latinos and Criminal Injustice. Latinos in the United States Series. East Lansing: Michigan State University Press, 2015.
• Fraga, Luis Ricardo. Latinos in the New Millennium : An Almanac of Opinion, Behavior, and Policy Preferences. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2012.
• Martinez, Ruben Orlando. Latinos in the Midwest. Latinos in the United States Series. East Lansing: Michigan State University Press, 2011.
• Ramos, E. Carmen. Our America : The Latino Presence in American Art, 2014.
• González, John Morán. The Cambridge Companion to Latina/o American Literature. Cambridge Companions to Literature. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2016.

Documentaries

• Latino Americans: Foreigners in Their Own Land
• Latino History in the US/Latino American Culture Spread

Websites

• Facts about Hispanic Heritage, Culture & History (Augusta University)
• Diverse Origins: The Nation's 14 Largest Hispanic Origin Groups (Pew Research Center)

Panelists

• Carlos Mariani, Minnesota State Representative, District 65B, DFL Lead, Education Innovation, and Member, Education Finance, and Agricultural Policy Committees
• Patricia Torres Ray, First Hispanic female elected to the Minnesota State Senate, representing District 63, and Chair, State and Local Government Committee
• Fernando Rodriguez, Teaching Specialist, Chicano Studies, and Doctoral Candidate, College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota
• Minerva Muñoz, Director, TRIO Programs, College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota.

Moderator

• Fernando Burga, Assistant Professor, Masters in Urban and Regional Planning Program, Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota.

Librarian

• Rafael Tarrago,Librarian for History, Political Science, and Iberian, Ibero-American & Chicano Studies