August 22, 2008

Purdue's Latino Cultural Center honors Latino Heritage Month

The theme this year is from the Chinese philosopher Confucius: "Study the past if you would define the future." The monthlong activities will be highlighted by the center's annual open house, a historic neighborhood tour in Chicago and a lecture by ethnic studies scholar Ronald Takaki.

"Most people are unaware of the various Asian migrations to Latin America and how it helped to shape the Latino and Latin American cultures," said Gilberto Corral, program coordinator for the Latino Cultural Center. "We will examine a lot of the Asian influences within the diverse Latino cultures. This celebration combines the efforts of the LCC, various Purdue departments and many different community organizations in planning and sponsoring different events."

Purdue's events are part of the national Hispanic Heritage Month, established as Hispanic Heritage Week in 1968 and expanded in 1988 to a monthlong celebration, from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15.

This year's celebration will begin at 4 p.m. Sept. 12 with an open house at the Latino Cultural Center, 600 N. Russell St. Visitors can interact with Latino and Asian student organizations and enjoy cultural demonstrations. There also will be a university resource tent for students.

Other events, which are free and open to the public, include:

* Sept. 23. 7 p.m. Neil Armstrong Hall of Engineering, Room 1010. The film "Gaijin: Road to Freedom" will be shown. Based on a true story, this film, directed by Tizuka Yamasaki, tells the story of the struggles Japanese immigrants faced as they moved and settled in Brazil looking for a better life. The film is in its authentic Portuguese and Japanese dialogue with English subtitles.

* Sept. 27. 10 a.m. Latino Cultural Center. The bilingual book club La Polilla Café will discuss Seiichi Higashide 's memoir "Adios to Tears." Higashide recounts his arrest in Peru and deportation to the U.S., where he was held for more than two years in an interment camp.  He also discusses his efforts to obtain redress for the human rights violations of the Peruvian-Japanese internees.

* Sept. 27. 7 p.m. Matthews Hall, Room 210. Latino Heritage Show. Delta Phi Mu, Purdue's first Latina-based sorority, will host its 10th annual cultural show. The sorority promotes the essence of Latino and Latina culture.

* Oct. 1. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Stewart Center, Room 214. Latino Scholars Forum. The Latino Faculty and Staff Association, along with the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science, will host the second annual multidisciplinary forum. Faculty, staff and graduate students will have an opportunity to present their scholarly interests in an academic setting and discuss research with peers to promote scholarly activity in the Latino community.

* Oct. 4. 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Historic Neighborhood Tour in Chicago.  The center will explore the historic Pilsen neighborhood and the Chinatown district, including Ping Tom Park. Pilsen, once the home of Eastern European and Italian immigrants, is now mostly Latino. Those interested in the tour must register by calling 494-2530 or e-mail: gcorral@purdue.edu.

* Oct. 7. 7 p.m. Fowler Hall. Latino Heritage Month Speaker featuring Ronald Takaki, an award-winning ethnic studies scholar and a retired professor at the University of California, Berkeley. He will discuss multicultural education and how the changing face of the population is affecting education.

* Oct. 9. 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Krannert School of Management Drawing Room. Tea with the Latino Cultural Center. Visitors will enjoy traditional teas and cuisine of Asia and Latin America while recognizing faculty and staff for their contributions to Purdue, the cultural center and support to students.

For more information, see the center's Web site at https://www.purdue.edu/lcc

The Latino Cultural Center was established in 2003 as Purdue's first center for Hispanic and Latino culture. The organization is a gathering place where people of similar cultures and backgrounds can come together to share events in the university community.

Writer: Clyde Hughes, (765) 494-2073, jchughes@purdue.edu

Source: Gilberto Corral, (765) 494-2530, gcorral@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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