GLC and LAS
and Other related Events

Conversation Tables:
join a local speaking community!

La Table Française - French Conversation Table - contact Deniza.Ticic@nau.edu 

Stammtisch - German Conversation Table at Ni Marco's on Beaver St. 6:30 pm on Thursdays

La Serata - Italian Conversation Table - contact Kevin.Massoletti@nau.edu 

Japanese Conversation Table - contact Reiko.Akiyama@nau.edu 

Tertulia - Spanish Conversation Table - contact Daniel.Serpas@nau.edu 

Language and Culture Clubs:

Chinese Culture Club - Email chinesecultureclub@nau.edu 

German Club - Contact GermanClub@nau.edu  

Spanish Club - Contact Marcos (mgh223@nau.edu) or Ely (fem26@nau.edu)

Spring 2024 - LAS and Other EvEnts Nearby

Electrifying Mexico

On April 11 at 6 p.m in Liberal Arts room 136, Dr. Diana Montaño, Associate Professor of History at Washington University at St. Louis, presents her book, “Electrifying Mexico: Technology and the transformation of a Modern City.”

Montaño explores the role of electricity in Mexico’s economic and political evolution. She outlines the ways that the coal-deficient country pioneered large-scale hydroelectricity and sought to face the world as a scientifically enlightened “empire of peace.” Montaño documents inventions and adaptations that served local needs while fostering new ideas of time and space, body and self, the national and the foreign. Complicating historical discourses in which Latin Americans merely use technologies developed elsewhere, here Montaño emphasizes a particular national culture of scientific progress and its contributions to a uniquely Mexican modernist political subjectivity.

Let's Anime  presents:  The Wind Rises 

On March 28 from 5:30-7:30 p.m in Liberal Arts room 120, Let's Anime! presents The Wind Rises, a fictionalized biography about the life of aeronautical engineer Jiro Horikoshi, produced by Studio Ghibli in 2013.  

Prior to the screening, Carter McCormick (NAU School of Communication),  Dr. Reiko Akiyama (NAU department of Global Languages and Cultures), and Patrick Edward Kelley (NAU School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems) will discuss the film and Japanese history and culture as well as pose questions for the audience to ponder during the film. After the screening, the panel will participate in a Q & A session with the audience.  Join us for an evening of anime, lively discussion, and Japanese snacks!

Disrupting Mining in Honduras

Anti-mining movements have put extractivism on the defensive in Honduras.‌ Why did mining production fail to expand in Honduras despite some of—if not the— most aggressive pro-extractive reforms on the continent?‌ Both existing theories of extractivism and social movements have difficulty explaining this outcome.

On March 21 at 6 p.m in Liberal Arts room 136, interrogate the conflict between extraction, public health, and the environment with Nate Edenhofer of UCSC, who has done extensive research on the subject as demonstrated in Honduras. He will share information gathered from 45 interviews with Hondurans and trace the strategies of capital, the state, and social movements.‌

Disappeared:
Portraits of Absence

The Martin-Springer Institute presents an exhibition designed to inform the public about the crises of disappearances connected to the cartels and political dissidents in Mexico. The Mexican government reports that more than 94,000 people are missing. The United Nations says that could be an undercount. 

The exhibition of artistic and journalistic photographs with educational information designed to raise more awareness of the issue will be on display in the third floor exhibit space in Riles through May 10, 2024.

Fall 2023 - LAS and Other EvEnts Nearby

Climate Migration:
The Environmental and Policy Disasters that Drive Migration from Central America

On Thursday, September 14 at 5:30 pm in LA 120, Cornell University historian Cristina Maria Garcia will be speaking on "Climate Migration: The Environmental and Policy Disasters that Drive Migration from Central America."  This talk is based on her recent book, State of Disaster: The Failure of U.S. Migration Policy in an Age of Climate Change (University of North Carolina Press, 2022). 

Spring 2023 - Other EvEnts Nearby

LAS PResents:
From Here

On Monday April 17 at 4pm in the Science and Health Building room 106, we’ll screen the recently released documentary film, From Here. Set in Berlin and New York, From Here tells the story of four young immigrant artist-activists during an era of rising nationalism. The film’s director, Christina Antonakos-Wallace will be with us to discuss the film and we’ll “zoom in” one of the film’s protagonists, Sonny Singh! 

This film is sponsored by Latin American Studies, the Martin-Springer Institute, and the Global Brigades student club. It is free and open to the public.

LAS PResents:
¡Encuentro NAU!

Due to the unusually white spring weather that we are experiencing, we are postponing Encuentro NAU: A Symposium, a Teach-in, and a Celebration of Latinidad to Wednesday April 5. At this point, all venues and times will remain the same (we’ll update you if necessary).

On April 5, we will have a full day of panels in the Du Bois Center (with a light breakfast and lunch provided). President Cruz Rivera will kick off the day at 9:00 am. The day is for everyone: students, faculty, community members—people who want to learn more about their own cultural heritage, as well as others who want to learn about the Latiné community.

Registration is encouraged (so that we can calculate the appropriate amount of food), but not necessary. Feel invited to spend the entire day, or drop in for an hour or two.

LAS PResents:
Beyond Fordlândia

Due to unforeseen complications related to screening rights, the screening of the film Beyond Fordlandia that had been scheduled for Fri March 3rd has been CANCELLED.

On Friday March 3rd at 3pm in LA 136 we will screen the documentary film, Beyond Fordlândia (Dir. Marcos Colón, 1h7min), an environmental account ninety years on from Henry Ford’s failure in the Amazon that left ravaged lands and a ghost town of shattered dreams. In 1927 the Ford Motor Company attempted to establish rubber plantations on the Tapajós River, a primary tributary of the Amazon, yet despite Ford's pioneering spirit, the project was doomed to failure and provides a cautionary tale of senseless exploitation. The film draws parallels with the Ford era as it addresses the recent transition from failed rubber to successful soybean cultivation for export, highlighting the heartbreaking implications for the Amazonian land and its people.

The screening, co-sponsored by the Department of History and Latin American Studies is free and open to the public. 

FALL 2022

LAS PResents:
Field Notes from the Borderlands:
Reflections from an unrepentant Border Crosser


On October 13 at 4:00pm in LA 120, Chicano novelist Santiago Vaquera-Vásquez will read in English and Spanglish from his book-in-progress, Field Notes from the Borderlands: Reflections from an Unrepentant Border Crosser.

LAS PResents:
The Linguistic Defense of White Comfort in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil


On October 6 at 5:00pm in SBS West Room 205, Dr. Jennifer Roth-Gordon from the University of Arizona will speak about her longstanding research on whiteness, language, and identity in Brazil. In this talk, Dr. Roth-Gordon explores how historical and societal structures of white supremacy and beliefs in white superiority shape how white middle-class Rio de Janeiro residents think about where they "fit" in the world. 

LAS PResents:
The politics of Extraction


Wednesday, September 21 at 4 pm in LA 120, 

Dr. Maiah Jaskoski, 

Professor of Political Science at NAU, 

will present her new book: 

The Politics of Extraction: Territorial Rights, Participatory Institutions, and Conflict 

in Latin America

Spring 2022

LAS PResents:
Fandango at the Wall


On Wednesday March 9 at 4 pm in LA 136 Latin American Studies will screen the film Fandango at the Wall. This beautiful and thought-provoking film features a journey through Mexico to explore a 300 year-old Mexican folk tradition--son jarocho—a binational fandango festival on both sides of the US/Mexico border, the conditions of life in Mexico, and the politics of migration. The ultimate message of the film is the triumph of unity through music over division.

You can see a trailer for the film at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skMcKWbF3Jg

For more information about the project (including a book and audio album), see the project web page at: https://fandangowall.com

After the in-person screening, the film’s director Varda Bar-Kar and multi Grammy-winning musician Arturo O’Farrill will connect for a Zoom Q & A. We’ll also stream the documentary on Zoom for people unable to attend the in-person screening. In order to attend via Zoom you must register before the event at http://eepurl.com/hVzvOX or by scanning the QR code here.

LAS PResents:
Black Women, CitizenShip,
and the Making of modern Cuba


On Wed. February 23 at 4 pm, Dr. Takkara Brunson, Associate Professor of History at Texas A&M,  will discuss her new book, Black Women, Citizenship, and the Making of Modern Cuba. In her new book Brunson demonstrates that between the 1886 abolition of slavery in Cuba and the 1959 Revolution, Black women—without formal political power—navigated political movements in their efforts to create a more just society. She examines how women helped build a Black public sphere as they claimed moral respectability and sought racial integration.

 

The event is free and open to everyone, everywhere, though you must register ahead of time in order to receive the Zoom link. You can register with the QR code on the poster or at: http://eepurl.com/hSC7Fz

Film Screening:
S'ammutadori - We Are Not Alone


Sardinian animation studio comes to Flagstaff!

NAU welcomes Francesca Floris and Fabrizio di Palma: The goal of their production company is to tell stories that are inclusive and that offer a fair representation of the LGBT+ community and love.


Join us Friday, February 11 at 1pm in Liberal Arts 123, as they present their 2021 Short Film "S'AMMUTADORI - WE ARE NOT ALONE". The short tells the story of Anna and Las, two girls who are both experiencing horrible nightmares. Each of them fights with their ammuntadore, or rather, with their own perception of it. The ammuntadore, in Sardinian culture, represents the demon of the night. He assaults us while we sleep and shows us the origin of our greatest fears: the deepest ones. 

LAS PResents:
Painting Across the Border

Latin American studies would like to invite you to an extraordinary event!

On Thursday February 17 at 7 pm, Nogales (Sonora)-based artist José Luis Sotero will present “Painting across the Border.”  Sotero was detained in 2015 when trying to cross the border, spent a year in detention, and was then deported to Mexico. He is a self-taught painter who is using his art to paint the stories of migrants who seek to escape violence and poverty in the hope of a decent life. He would not be permitted to cross the border to join us, but through Zoom José Luis will share his experiences as well as his striking art.

The event is free and open to everyone, everywhere, though you must register ahead of time in order to receive the Zoom link. You can register with the QR code on the poster or at: eepurl.com/hS61cP

The presentation will be in Spanish with simultaneous interpretation. The event is sponsored by Latin American Studies, Global Languages and Cultures, and the NAU student club, No More Deaths/No más muertes.

Lunar New Year
Celebration

On Friday, February 4, at 5:30 pm on Zoom, the Office of Inclusion, the Center for International Education, and the Chinese Students and Scholars Association will be recognizing the advent of the Year of the Tiger with a Lunar New Year celebration. 

Join this online celebration on Zoom at
Meeting ID: 837 9698 3674, Password: Tiger.

NOvember and December 2021

LAS Presents:
Build Bridges not Walls

On Thursday, Nov 18, at 7 pm in LA 120, Latin American Studies will present writer Todd Miller who will read from his newest book, Build Bridges not Walls: A Journey to a World without Borders (City Lights: 2021). This reading is co-sponsored by Criminology and Criminal Justice, Comparative Cultural Studies, Global Languages and Cultures, and the NAU student club--No más muertes.

Todd Miller has written extensively on US border policies, issues of mass migration, and climate change, including: Border Patrol Nation: Dispatches from the Front Lines of Homeland Security (City Lights, 2014), Storming the Wall: Climate Change, Migration, and Homeland Security (City Lights, 2017), Empire of Borders: How the US is Exporting its Border around the World (Verso, 2019). This is an opportunity to hear one of the world’s foremost experts on one of the most pressing issues of our time.  This event will be in-person and on Zoom. In order to receive the Zoom link you need to sign up ahead of time (http://eepurl.com/hLlrG1 or QR code on attached flyer).

LAS Presents: Zurita: Verás no ver

On Tue Nov 9 at 7 pm in LA 120, Latin American Studies will present the documentary, Zurita: Verás no ver (Zurita: You Will See not to See).

Chilean poet Raúl Zurita has been recognized with some of the most prestigious literary awards of the Spanish speaking world, including the Chilean National Prize, the Pablo Neruda Prize, and the Premio Reina Sofía. Zurita began his career as a founding member of the Collective of Art Actions (CADA), a fascinating group of artists and writers that carried out neo avant-garde art actions in the streets of Santiago during the dictatorship.

NAU Professor Robert Neustadt, who has published a book about CADA and interviewed Zurita, will introduce the film with a presentation about the poet, the historical/political context that shaped his career, and his work with CADA (which he believes shaped the trajectory of Zurita's career). The presentation will be in English; the film is in Spanish with English subtitles.

Please visit here for a trailer of the film.

September and October 2021

LAS Presents:
Dancing with the Revolution

Latin American Studies presents: On Thursday Oct 7 at 4 pm in-person in LA 120 (and simultaneously via Zoom), Assistant Professor of History Elizabeth Schwall will talk about her recently published book, Dancing with the Revolution: Power, Politics, and Privilege in Cuba. For those who prefer to attend via Zoom, please RSVP at: http://eepurl.com/hIkK79 

April 2021

Suite Latinaericana

On Wed. April 7 at 3 pm, Chilean musician, composer, and academic Freddy Vilches will present “Suite Latinoamericana: Vernacular and Concert Music” 

This will be a very special event! Freddy Vilches is an incredibly versatile musician who will demonstrate the traditional roots, rhythms, and instruments that have inspired his classical suite for orchestra. Vilches’s “Suite Latinoamericana” is already scheduled to be performed in Cuba by the Havana Symphony Orchestra, and the Chilean Embassy of Bolivia is planning a performance in Bolivia! 

All are welcome, but you must register for the event at: http://eepurl.com/hqSnHT 

March 2021

How We Get Free:
Women, Tango, and the power of FiCtion

On Wednesday, March 24 at 6:30 pm, award-winning author Carolina De Robertis will present, “How We Get Free: Women, Tango, and the Power of Fiction.” This GLC talk is co-sponsored by STAC and The Office of Inclusion here at NAU. You may register for the event at:  http://Eepurl.com/hrtsdD 

Human Rights Crisis
in the Borderlands

On Monday, March 22 at 1 pm, the Colibrí Center for Human Rights will talk about the human rights crisis at our southern border and their work to find justice. 
This presentation is put on in partnership with NAU No More Deaths, Latin American Studies and the NAU Colibrí Campus Ambassador.
Please sign up for the event at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-conversation-with-colibri-center-for-human-rights-tickets-143315816465 

Severo Sarduy:
Fatigue and the Tempo of HIV/AIDS

On Wednesday, March 17 at 3pm, Johnathan Vankin, Assistant Professor, Latin American Cultural Studies and affiliated faculty at the UArizona Institute for LGBTQ+ Studies, UofA, will give an examination of the relationship between illness and time in Sarduy’s final novel, Pájaros de la playa.  This Latin American Studies event is free and open to the public; please register at: http://eepurl.com/hmiCc9 

The Birth of French Hip-Hop

Alain-Philippe Durand, Dean of Humanities and Professor of French at the University of Arizona, is an expert in French cinema and hip-hop culture. His recent book, which he will present from, charts the emergence and development of hip-hop culture in France, French Caribbean, Québec, and Senegal from its origins until today.

Deported to Death

From the Latin American Studies Program: Jeremy Slack, Associate Professor of Geography at the University of Texas El Paso will present “Deported to Death: Asylum, drug violence and immigration enforcement on the US/Mexico border” This is an Immigration Awareness Series event, co-sponsored by the NAU student club No More Deaths / No más muertes and Latin American Studies. Registration: http://eepurl.com/hopH8D    

February 2021

Mala ConFición

A presentation through the NAU Latin American Studies Program:
Thur. January 28, 2:30 pm: Molly Borowitz, Assistant Professor of Transatlantic Early Modern Literature and Cultural Studies in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at Georgetown University, “Mala Confición: Forced acculturation & spiritual surveillance in the Confesionario limense (1585).”
A talk examining how a 16th century text taught religious leaders in colonial Peru to control indigenous people by treating actions that the Spanish Crown wished to discourage as religious crimes.   http://eepurl.com/hmiPXH

Lithium,
Indigenous Communities,
and Social Justice

A presentation through the NAU Latin American Studies Program:
Tue. February 9, 2:30 pm: Roberto Lencina, Professor of Economic Geology at the National University of Tucumán, Argentina and a certified mediator, “Lithium, Indigenous Communities, and Social Justice: A Challenge!” http://eepurl.com/hnPEcz


The Deportation Machine

A presentation through the Latin American Studies Program: Adam Goodman, Assistant Professor of Latin American and Latino studies at the University of Chicago, will discuss his new book, The Deportation Machine: America’s Long History of Expelling Immigrants.  
Register at http://eepurl.com/hlfiZb

Home is Somewhere Else

On Friday, Nov 3 at 6:30pm at the Coconino Center for the Arts, Northern Arizona Immigration Legal Services (NAILS) will screen Mexican director Carlos Hagerman’s new animated documentary, Home is Somewhere Else! 

Through animation, the film provides a unique perspective on the experiences of young people who were brought to the US without authorization as children. This screening is a fundraiser: NAILS offers free legal assistance to members of our community regardless of where they were born. You can see a trailer of this film here.

Note: Everyone is welcome, regardless of ability to donate. If you do want to donate and cannot make it, the QR code on the attached photo will take you to the NAILS web page where you can make a donation.