Where in the World are Minnesota’s Latinos?

       
 
EVENT DETAILS
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Noon - 1:00pm
Intended Audience: Everyone is Welcome!
Speaker:  Dr. Louis Mendoza, Professor of Chicano Studies at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
 
The first lunch and learn featured  Dr. Louis Mendoza, Professor of Chicano Studies at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. Where in the World are Minnesota’s Latinos? highlighted the history of Latino immigration to Minnesota and explored the nature of the rapid demographic shifts in the Latino population locally and nationally.  Dr. Mendoza based his observations on a 2007 research trip he conducted around the nation by bicycle.
 
ABOUT THE PRESENTER
Dr. Louis Mendoza, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Louis Mendoza is associate vice provost in the Office for Equity and Diversity at the University of Minnesota. He is also an associate professor of Chicano Studies, a department he chaired from 2004-2007. He received his Ph.D. in English with a concentration in ethnic and third world literatures from the University of Texas at Austin. Prior to his appointment at the University of Minnesota, he taught at the University of Texas at San Antonio, the University of Houston-Downtown and Brown University. At UTSA he served as associate dean for the College of Liberal and Fine Arts and as interim director of the Hispanic Research Center. He has written and edited several books on Latino literature and culture, with a special emphasis on immigration and the criminal justice system. He is currently working on two book projects and a film related to his 2007 Journey Across Our America. To learn more about Dr. Mendoza, click here.
 
VIDEOS
In 2007, Dr. Mendoza conducted a research project on Latino communities throughout the U.S. This project was informed by the personal stories he gathered on a cross-country bicycle trip. During his engaging presentation, he reflected upon many of those stories. In case you missed the event, below are two of those stories for your enjoyment.
 
                                           Story #1                                                                                                 Story #2
   
 
RESOURCES
Research Themes from A Journey Across Our America (PDF)
Author: Dr. Louis Mendoza
This document lists 15 research themes that emerged from Dr. Mendoza’s bicycle trip across the country in 2007, during which he explored how Latino immigration was affecting people’s lives. Also contained in this document is a poem he wrote about his journey.

At a Glance: Latinos in Minnesota (LINK)
Author: The Minneapolis Foundation
This link leads to an overview of the Latino population living in Minnesota.

Latinos in Hennepin County (PDF)
Author: Hennepin County, Office of Planning and Development
This document contains an even more specific look at those Latinos living in Minnesota’s Hennepin County.

These web pages highlight interventions of the United States into the political affairs of Latin American countries since 1823.

Web and Film Resources on Immigration
Editor: Dr. Louis Mendoza
This document contains a list of various resources on immigration. Most resources cover Latino immigration specifically; some, however, do provide broader discussions.
 
These programs are funded with money for the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund that was
created with the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4th, 2008.