51爆料网

When Tere Paniagua 鈥�82 graduated from 51爆料网, the telecommunications major thought she had left Central New York for good. 鈥淚 went home but then ended up working in New York City and LA,鈥� recalls the former newspaper and magazine editor. 鈥淚 had no idea I鈥檇 come full circle.鈥�

Almost two decades later, Paniagua joined the faculty of the , teaching a course of her own design, Hispanic Journalistic Practices (SPA 402), in the (LLL). She also became managing director of (POC), a nonprofit collaborative exploring the contemporary visual and verbal arts.

It was with considerable fanfare that Paniagua helped establish La Casita Cultural Center in 2011. Strategically located in Syracuse鈥檚 Near Westside neighborhood (home to growing numbers of Puerto Rican and Cuban families), La Casita figures prominently in the University鈥檚 promotion of ethnic diversity and multiculturalism. The center, along with POC, also is the linchpin in campuswide celebrations of (Sept. 15-Oct. 15).

鈥淗eritage Month involves arts and cultural programming, which creates meaningful public impact and community engagement,鈥� says Paniagua, now executive director of the , which manages both La Casita and POC. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a celebration that鈥檚 becoming more diverse and inclusive with each passing year.鈥�

Paniagua鈥檚 downtown office serves not only local and regional families, but also students from myriad academic backgrounds, including the creative and performing arts, the humanities, and social sciences. Such interaction often takes the form of experiential learning and advanced research opportunities.

鈥淥ur students use these centers to gain invaluable cultural competencies and career skills,鈥� says Paniagua, who recently co-founded and co-chaired a community task force to develop Pulso Central, this region鈥檚 first Spanish-language radio station. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e preparing for success in an interconnected world.鈥�

Creating a Mosaic

Latine scholarship flourishes in various settings at Syracuse. Academic offerings include the Latino-Latin American studies and Spanish language, literature and culture bachelor鈥檚 degree programs as well as experiences in Santiago (Chile) and Madrid (Spain). Students also can choose from a range of Latine clubs, groups and fraternal organizations.

Suzette Mel茅ndez, a teaching professor in the , is part of the University鈥檚 illustrious Latine faculty. She embodies this year鈥檚 Heritage Month theme, 鈥淧ioneers of Change: Shaping the Future Together,鈥� with her trailblazing work in family law, domestic violence and the delivery of legal services to women and children. These scholarly pursuits have helped put the University on the multicultural map while giving a voice to marginalized communities.

Mel茅ndez insists that the U.S. Latine community is a mosaic, not a monolith. 鈥淲e must learn to appreciate the multiple representations of how we live and what we contribute,鈥� says Mel茅ndez, who recently concluded a faculty fellowship in the and the .

A common thread of her work is the interplay between law and familia. 鈥淔amily is a tremendous influencer, supporter, teacher and builder of community in Latine cultures,鈥� Mel茅ndez says. 鈥淔amily law illustrates how parenting and familial bonding across cultures is complex, nuanced and emblematic of the human experience.鈥�

Fostering Community

Almost any scholarly conversation about Latine communities touches on equity, access and representation. Emma Ticio Quesada, professor of Spanish and linguistics, addresses these issues through Spanish in Action, an interinstitutional program that she has co-founded in the University鈥檚 .

鈥淲e educate and connect native and non-native Spanish speakers while promoting inclusion and social justice,鈥� says Ticio Quesada, who also teaches an immersive course called Community Outreach: Language in Action (SPA 439).

Spanish in Action grew out of her interest in Spanish-English bilingual communities and the 鈥渞elevance of bilingualism,鈥� in general. She says that studying鈥攁nd teaching鈥攁 language like Spanish, with dozens of dialects and 600 million speakers worldwide, 鈥減romotes understanding of different cultures and communities.鈥�

Ticio Quesada also has been involved with Pulso Central, whose debut coincided with the start of this year鈥檚 Latine Heritage Month. Broadcast by WCNY, the station is a platform for music and talk that engages listeners and fosters community connection. Pulso Central is an 鈥渆xtraordinary, new pedagogical tool鈥� that educates students, too, she observes.

A similar ethos pervades the work of Gail Bulman G鈥�96, whose interest in Latin American and Latine theater spans considerable social, political and historical terrain. The professor and chair of LLL believes that education can build empathy while fostering a sense of community.

鈥淢y class is usually the first time that students are hearing of, reading or watching a Spanish-language play,鈥� says Bulman, who regularly invites drama companies from Spain and Latin America as well as U.S. Latine communities to perform on campus. 鈥淭heater can be a remarkable teacher.鈥�

Absorbing History

The Latine community鈥攁nd its influence on American culture and art鈥攊s everywhere, notes Cristina E. Pardo Porto, assistant professor of Spanish. She is particularly interested in the diasporic experiences of Central Americans, a 鈥渓arge, but still underrepresented鈥� segment of the Latine community.

鈥淐entral Americans have connections with other diasporic networks, like those in the Caribbean,鈥� says the 鈥檚 former faculty fellow, who is working on a book project about U.S.-based artists from Central America and the Caribbean. 鈥淭here are lots of gaps and biases in institutional representations of Latine and Latin American histories.鈥�

For Pardo Porto and her colleagues, Heritage Month is more than a celebration. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an opportunity to raise awareness of a rich cultural history and to advocate for the inclusion and visibility of all Latine communities.鈥�

Adds Mel茅ndez: 鈥淏y acting with a sense of equity and understanding, we can see ourselves in others and learn to appreciate our differences.鈥�