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| Jan (3) | Feb (1) | Mar (3) | Apr (3) | May (4) | Jun (5) | Jul (3) | Aug (5) | Sep (1) | Oct (2) | Nov (1) | Dec (2) |
January
LACC's Jose Miguel Cruz responds to SOTU Claim of MS-13 Threat in Washington Post
The Washington Post invited LACC Research Director Jose Miguel Cruz to respond to President Trump's focus on MS-13 in support of his administration's immigration position during his first State of the Union address on January 30. Contrary to Trump's claim that MS-13 poses extreme danger to the US, Cruz reminds us of the facts in his article "Trump is wrong about MS-13. And his rhetoric will make it worse".
LACC's Study Abroad Argentina Announced for Summer, 2018
Politics & International Relations in Argentina take the lead in LACC's four-week Study Abroad program. Back by popular demand, the high paced program fosters an understanding of Latin American international relations through the experience of living and studying in one of the most vibrant cosmopolitan cities in the Americas. Open to both undergraduate and graduate students, the program takes an interdisciplinary approach to the study of the region. Save the date: June 25-July 20, 2018.
LACC Research Director on End of TPS for Salvadorans
Following the Trump Administration's cancellation of Temporary Protective Status (TPS) for Haitians and, likely, Hondurans, on Jan. 8 more than 200,000 Salvadorans, many here for two decades, have also been ordered to leave the U.S. within a year. LACC Research Director and Political Science Professor Jose Miguel Cruz explains on NPR's WBUR Boston the consequences both in U.S. communities and in an unprepared El Salvador. Click on the title above to hear the interview.
February
K-18 Portuguese Teachers Hosted by LACC for Annual Workshop
Thirty-five K-18 teachers from across the US met at FIU on 2/24 for the annual workshop on "Perspectives on Teaching Portuguese at Mainstream Schools Part III: Proficiency Levels and Performance Assessment." Organized by Professor Augusta Vono and Cariello of FIU's Portuguese Program, the workshop was led by Dr. Celia Bianconi, head of the Portuguese Language Program at Boston University.
March
35th Jounalists & Editors Is All About Climate Change
The news industry wrestles with the challenge of understanding and reporting on the world's changing climate and the increasing number of disasters that most attribute to that change. On March 27 and 28, LACC and CARTA's SCJ bring experts to explain the science and journalists to share the latest research and techniques for covering climate change. Register @ http://bit.ly/2Cdgh0h
Call for Applicants: CASAD Master's Scholarship and Stipend
LACC is privileged to offer a total of four citizens/residents of Honduras, El Salvador or Guatemala a scholarship plus stipend to earn a MA in Latin American and Caribbean Studies at FIU with a focus on security in Central America. The scholarships are made possible by a grant supporting Central American Security and Drug Policy (CASAD). Click on the title above to watch a video with details.
Society for the Anthropology of Lowland South America Journal Dedicates Issue to William T. Vickers
Former FIU Professor Emeritus and anthropologist William T. Vickers has been honored by colleagues near and far in Tipití, the Journal of the Society for the Anthropology of Lowland South America, in a special issue titled "Remembering William T. Vickers (1942-2016)". A member of the Greene School's Department of Global and Sociocultural Studies, Vickers is remembered for his decades of scholarship and leadership in research on environmental anthropology, development, Andes, and Latin America.
April
LACC Supports FIU-FAST Team's Medical Work in Guatemala
For the second year, 8 members of FIU-FAST (FIU-Florida Advanced Surgical Transport) spent 10 days providing medical and preventative treatment to over 5,000 people in Guatemala as part of U.S. Southern Command's Continuing Promise 2018. The humanitarian mission provides medical services and more to residents and children in Puerto Barrios. In addition to support from LACC, the FIU-FAST mission was backed by FIU's Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine.
Corruption in the Americas: The Corrosive Effects of Corruption
Analysis of the impact of corruption on governance and business in Latin America is the focus of experts at Friday's conference hosted by LACC, the Jack D. Gordon Institute, FIU's College of Business and the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce. Keynote speaker Juan Jiménez Mayor, former leader of MACCIH, is joined by business leaders and academics Arturo Aguilar, Tim Padgett, Mitchell Seligson, Jose Miguel Cruz, Ricardo Mendes, Frank Santeiro, Edgardo Pappacena and Jerry Haar. Clic title to RSVP.
Unleashing Growth and Strengthening Resilience in the Caribbean
International Monetary Fund authors of the most recent study on Caribbean economies present their findings and participate in an open discussion moderated by GSS Professor Percy Hintzen. Arnold McIntyre, Deputy Division Chief and Joyce Wong, Economist, both of the Western Hemisphere Department, IMF, analyze the obstacles facing Caribbean nations and offer policy solutions in their publication "Unleashing Growth and Strengthening Resilience in the Caribbean". 4/06, 11:30am at FIU MMC DM 370.
May
Former Costa Rican President Solís Named Distinguished Visiting Professor at LACC
Former Costa Rican President Luis Guillermo Solis and FIU Researcher joins FIU's Green School and LACC as Distinguished Visiting Professor this fall to lecture on governance and democratic sustainability in LAC. "We are honored and proud to offer our students this opportunity to learn from and interact with this quintessential scholar-practitioner" LACC Director Frank Mora informed. FIU's Pres. Mark B. Rosenberg and The Green School's Dean John Stack led the "welcome back" news.
Photovoice "Research-with-Results" Methodology Course Offered Fall 2018
Launching in Fall 2018 at FIU, the course Photovoice as Community Engagement features Drs. Mark Padilla and Armando Matiz leading an interactive course on the methodology behind their successful Proyecto Lentes initiative carried out under an NIH grant in the Dominican Republic. Offered by LACC and FIU's Honors College, students may register for IDH3035. Non Honors College students should contact Logan Saucer at lsaucer@fiu.edu to apply to the Honors College and register for the course.
GSS' Juliet Erazo Publication a Model in LARR Review
Five years post-publication, Juliet Erazo's book "Governing Indigenous Territories: Enacting Sovereignty in the Ecuadorian Amazon" has been selected as one of seven examples of how to study the issue of why and when ethnic identities can become politicized. "Erazo's work excels at bridging divides...as she adeptly crosses disciplinary boundaries...and presents a new model for scholarship" writes Dr. Marc Becker in his LARR Book Review Essay "Politicized Identities and Social Movements".
Green Family Foundation and LACC Partner to Sponsor Little Haiti Book Festival
For the third year, GFF and LACC lend their support to MDC's Miami Book Fair and its Little Haiti Book Festival. This weekend, May 5 & 6, the Little Haiti Culture Center hosts the exciting ReadCaribbean Program featuring authors from Haiti and the Haitian diaspora, a series of workshops for writers and the community, dance and music performances, interactive demonstrations of Haitian culture, art and cuisine, and culture-based activities for children.
June
FIU Honors Preeminent & Emerging Preeminent Programs in Ceremony
In a ceremony held on June 20, FIU President Rosenberg, Provost Furton, and VP of Research Gil honored six preeminent programs and seven emerging preeminent centers. LACC was designated an emerging preeminent program in 2016 and was represented by Dir. Frank Mora who received the award. A preeminent program at FIU is defined as a collaborative endeavor that demonstrates extraordinary success in providing unique learning opportunities, research and engagement while expanding FIU's financial base.
LACC Video Series Highlights the World Cup's Historic Impact in Latin America
FIFA's 2018 World Cup is underway with Latin American national teams making up fully one quarter of the 32 countries competing, a reflection of the profound role "fútbol" and "el Mundial" play throughout the region. In an ongoing series of brief videos, LACC scholars and students look behind nation-changing moments throughout the Cup's history — tracking political, economical and cultural milestones brought about by the quest and conquering of the revered Jules Rimet Cup.
LACC Welcomes Brazil's Paulo Correa as Visiting Scholar
IR Professor and head of the MA in Border Studies at the University of Amapá, Paulo Correa is calling FIU home for a two-week research project at the Green Library. Correa's focus centers on peace, defense and international security in the Guyana region of northern South America with plans to map and analyze the conflicts throughout the territory. He has worked as Guest Lecturer at UWI,Visiting Researcher at the University of Waikato, and is part of the Advisory Board of Conflict Barometer.
Bolivia's Sacred Mission Baroque Orchestra Joins FIU's Choirs for Concert
In the 1990s a three-hundred year old treasure trove of 18th century manuscripts, including scores for Latin masses, was discovered in the lowlands of eastern Bolivia leading to renewed recognition of the baroque legacy of the Jesuits that remains strong in the region. The youth orchestra is on tour of Europe and the U.S. with a stop at FIU. Here the group will be welcomed by FIU's Camerata Choir and Baroque Trio. All are welcome to attend. Information at (305) 348-2894.
LACC FLAS Fellow On Way to North American Language and Conversation Assistants Program in Spain
FLAS Fellow Antonio Arzola will spend 9 months in Valencia, Spain as an English-language TA to students beginning in October. As a Fellow from 2016 to 2018, Antonio researched Lusophone war cultures and relationships between colonial Europe and Latin America. He then perfected his proficiency in the Portuguese language in Rio de Janeiro. Since 2014 LACC has awarded 102 Department of Education FLAS Fellowships that support language specialization in Less-Commonly-Taught Languages (LCTLs).
July
Congratulations to LACC's Title VI State College Partners!
Congratulations to LACC's Title VI partners Miami Dade College and Broward College for being selected as 2019 Aspen Prize Finalists. The highly-competitive prize is granted in recognition of community college excellence and carries with it a cash award to reinvest in student and college success. The Aspen Institute will announce the winners in April 2019, so stay tuned. Together as minority-serving institutions, FIU, MDC and BC are paving the way for equitable high-quality education.
Haitian Mangos Honored at Fairchild's International Mango Festival
The annual Mango and Tropical Fruit Fest at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden this year features mangoes from Haiti. LACC is sponsor of the popular two-day event that offers a series of lectures and cooking lessons, tastings, a formal mango brunch, attractions and a marketplace of mangoes and mango trees. Click on the title to see pictures and link to Fairchild!
First Research on Puerto Ricans in Florida Released During Nuestro Futuro at FIU
Following mass emigration from the homeland after Hurricane Irma, LACC's Drs. Gamarra and Duany released their new study on Puerto Ricans settled in Florida: their backgrounds, future plans and political inclinations. The event was sponsored by the Puerto Rican Alliance of Florida, FIU and the Puerto Rican Leadership Council of South Florida. The partnership foresees strategic planning for civic engagement by and for community members and their enhanced role in the state. Click title for report.
August
The Future of the Americas: President Luis Guillermo Solís Rivera
Professor, politician and diplomat Luis Guillermo Solís Rivera, Immediate Past President of Costa Rica and present Distinguished Visiting Scholar at LACC, offers his unique insight into the currents in motion across the Americas. In LACC's 2018-2019 Distinguished Lecture, Solís will address the region's internal and external relationships, economies, politics and vulnerabilities. Presented by LACC and the Honors College.
LACC Designated Title VI National Resource Center; Awarded Foreign Language + Areas Fellowship
The U.S. Dept. of Education awarded LACC's 2018 proposal, designating it a National Resource Center (NRC) and granting it a Foreign Language and Areas Studies Fellowship (FLAS). Both grants allow LACC to continue its support of research, training and access to scholarship funds for languages and understanding of Latin America and the Caribbean. The grant and fellowship run for the next four years. This is the thirty-fifth year LACC has been named a NRC since its founding 39 years ago.
LACC Dir. Frank Mora Welcomes Distinguished Scholar Luis Solis, Former President of Costa Rica
Luis Solis, immediate past president of Costa Rica has joined LACC as Distinguished Scholar and Professor for academic year 2018-2019. It's welcome back to FIU for Solis who in 2000 was a Fulbright Fellow with LACC. Professor Solis will work with LACC's affiliated faculty members, students and members of the community to further knowledge and understanding of Costa Rica and the Central/South American region in general.
LACC Affiliated Professor Javier Francisco-Ortega Posts Haitian Summer Institute Visit to Fairchild
On June 26, 18 Haitian Summer Institute students from universities across the U.S. were treated to a guided tour and lecture during the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden's annual Mango Festival. LACC-affiliated biology professor, Dr. Javier Francisco-Ortega shared the visit with Fairchild members on the Garden's blog. On the docket a tour of tropical fauna and lecture by Haitian mango grower and expert, Philippe Matthieu. Click on the title above to visit the blog.
Title I 9 -12 Teachers Bring Digital Skills into Latin American Studies Lesson Plans
Beginning 7/30, thirteen SS MDCPS teachers from Title I schools attended LACC's professional development workshop that united content on Latin America and the Caribbean with video-producing skills for application in classrooms across Miami Dade County. The workshop was led by FIU Drs. Hilary Landorf, Global Learning, and Sarah Mathews, Education, and featured presentations by Charlene Desir, Frank Mora, Moses Shumow, Mark Padilla, Armando Matiz Reyes, and Micah Oezle. Click on title for videos.
September
Nicaraguan Student Leader and Academic Panel Discuss Nicaragua
Before a standing-room-only crowd of students and local community members, key student opposition leader Lesther Aleman participated in a panel of experts to analyze the causes and consequences of the crisis that has taken hold of Nicaragua over the past 6 months. Former president of Costa Rica Luis Guillermo Solis, UCSD professor Richard Feinberg, and LACC research director Jose Miguel Cruz joined the conversation moderated by LACC director Frank Mora. To watch video, click on the title above.
October
Green Family Foundation and LACC Sponsor ReadCaribbean at Miami Book Fair
During eight days each November hundreds of authors and thousands of readers converge on Downtown Miami for the nation's premier literary festival. Dozens of authors from the Caribbean join the Miami Book Fair in a special section dedicated to Caribbean-specific events, including readings and panel discussions by prominent writers and experts, children’s writers, storytelling and music on the stage. The full schedule of events is supported by the Green Family Foundation and LACC.
Kreyòl Celebration Month Going Strong at FIU
In Celebration of Haitian Creole, Celebrasyon Mwa Kreyol, LACC, FIU's Dept of Modern Languages and Haitian Student Organization join to present language and cultural events to enrich knowledge about the language and Haitian culture. Designed to engage students and community members, activities range from film screenings to music presentations and include a scholarship pageant, panels of experts and contests for childrens' stories and text readings.
November
Latin American 2030 Series Launched
The Latin American 2030 Series sets forth a platform for understanding the outlook for the region and the factors that affect stability. It is a scholarly collaboration among Global Americans, Kimberly Green Latin American and Caribbean Center and the Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy of the Green School at FIU. A report on Central America. The reports on the Caribbean and South America are forthcoming.
December
Video: Two Experts Revisit Central American Democratic Governance and Relations with the U.S.
In 2007, FIULACC experts Luis Guillermo Solis, former president of Costa Rica and current Distinguished Professor at LACC, and FIU President Mark B. Rosenberg co-authored the book The United States and Central America. In this video they discuss the last decade of Central American democratic governance and relations with the U.S. in a conversation prepared as part of LACC's regular tutorial series.
LACC Flagship Publication Released: Documented: The Colonial Archive and the Future of the Americas
For the 27th Hemisphere, guest editor Bianca Premo drew upon her experience leading a series of international seminars on the archives of colonial Latin America to explore what the historical record reveals and what it hides, and how records affect the stories we tell and the lives we lead. As she and expert scholars share in this issue, the approach to examining the archives reveals far more than past accounts and parallels to the present; in many ways it provides a window into the future.
