Stories from the Borderlands
On April 18, 2024, the Chicano Studies Program at UTEP and LULAC presented a remarkable event featuring four authors whose work focuses on the El Paso borderland region. The daylong program at the UTEP Library attracted over 160 students, LULAC members, and community members, creating a vibrant atmosphere of learning and engagement. Dr. Irma V. Montelongo, Chicano Studies Program Director and UTEP Distinguished Teaching Professor, introduced the authors and provided an insightful overview of their contributions.
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The featured authors included Tim Z. Hernandez, an award-winning author known for his book All They Will Call You, which recounts the tragic airplane disaster in California that claimed the lives of thirty-two passengers, including twenty-eight Mexican citizens. Dr. Nicholas D. Natividad, an Associate Professor at New Mexico State University, shared his expertise on human rights and his work on the museum exhibit Pasos Ajenos: Social Justice and Inequalities in the Borderlands. Marisa Limón Garza, Executive Director of Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, discussed her extensive experience in advocacy and education along the border. Lastly, Larisa Veloz, an Associate Professor of History at UTEP, presented her research on gendered migrations between Mexico and the United States and her ongoing work on a manuscript covering the 1960s.
The event fostered meaningful discussions and highlighted the diverse experiences and perspectives within the El Paso borderland. It was a day of intellectual enrichment, community engagement, and cultural celebration, leaving a lasting impact on all who attended.
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