Tortillas, La Llorona and history: Del Mar College to host Mexican American studies event
Del Mar College’s Mexican American Studies Summer Seminar invites participants to discover Mexican American history and culture on July 29.
The “Historia, Cutlura y MAS” seminar aims to showcase the Mexican American Studies degree program, including sessions focused on art, literature, music, history, politics and the Spanish language, including dance performances and a tortilla-making demonstration.
The seminar, which is free and open to the public, will run from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, July 29, at the General Academic and Music Building Phase II located at the Del Mar College Heritage Campus at 1010 Baldwin Blvd.
For more information or to register, visit https://delmar.edu/degrees/mexican-american-studies/summer/.
What events are planned?
It will begin at 8 a.m. with breakfast and a folklorico performance by Teresa Saldivar.
Local artist, educator and muralist Mayra Zamora will give opening remarks at 8:35 a.m.
Alberto Rodriguez, who leads Texas A&M University-Kingsville's Mexican American Studies Institute will provide a keynote address from 8:45-9:20 a.m. on the history and state of Mexican American studies.
From 9:30-10:15 a.m. and again from 10:30-11:15 a.m., attendees can choose from concurrent sessions on subjects including Texas border politics and policy, Chicanx art, Chicano Jews, Día de los Muertos pottery, fostering success for Hispanic men, the migrant agricultural worker experience, the art of Amorette Garza-Morales, promoting cultural representation in instructional resources, the experiences of Del Mar College staff who previously worked as farmworkers and translating Chicanx poetry.
In between the sessions, Saldivar will perform and attendees can view the work of Zamora and artist Lucía Torres.
Author and Corpus Christi native Diana López will read from her new book “Monstruos: Felice and the Wailing Woman” at 11:20 a.m. The middle grade story set in South Texas includes magic, adventure and Mexican folklore.
Afternoon sessions from 11:55 a.m. to 12:40 p.m. and 1:20-2:05 p.m. will focus on immigration issues and advocacy efforts in Texas, the impact of the Chicano press on the Chicano Civil Rights Movement, Rudolfo Anaya’s “Bless Me, Ultima,” Latinx voices in spaceflight, Chicanx poetry, Chicana art and music, the environmental justice movement in the Coastal Bend, the poetry of Juan Manual Pérez, the Mexican Revolution and its influence on immigration and code-switching in Chicanx culture.
Pastry chef Cody Fitzpatrick will also present on the history of al pastor and tortillas throughout Mexico, including a tortilla-making demonstration at 12:45 p.m.
This is the ninth annual seminar, though the event was held online during the pandemic. Videos from previous seminar presentations are also available online.
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This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Del Mar College to host Mexican American studies seminars
