Organized by Frances Negrón-Muntaner
Sponsored by Columbia's Center for the Study of Ethnicity and Race, and the Department of English and Comparative Literature

Video documentation by: PRdream.com. Magda Albizu, videographer.

Symposium participants included several acclaimed Latino writers, prominent scholars working in Latino Studies, and influential public figures:

Rosario Ferré (author of National Book Award finalist, The House on The Lagoon and Language Duel/Duelo Del Lenguaje)
Junot Díaz (author, Drown)
Dolores Prida (playwright, 4Guys Named Jose...And Una Mujer Named Maria)
Jeffrey Farrow (co-chair of the White House Interagency Working Group on Puerto Rico under President Clinton)
Arlene Dávila (NYU)
Jorge Duany (University of Puerto Rico)
Juan Flores (City University of New York)
Nicole Marwell (Columbia University)
Suzanne Oboler (University of Illinois)
Angel Oquendo (University of Connecticut),
Gustavo Pérez-Firmat (Columbia University)
Raquel Rivera (CUNY)
Roberto Suro (Pew Hispanic Center)
Pablo Vila (University of Texas-San Antonio)
George Yúdice (NYU)

Conference topics included current migration patterns, the new cultures emerging from the coming together of diverse Latino and non-Latino communities, the Puerto Rican status debate in the context of globalization, and the impact of "Latinization" on the work of creative writers.

Panel 1
Video Preview : panel1.mov

PANEL 1
ESSENTIALLY SPEAKING: ARE LATINOS CHANGING THE U.S.?
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Roberto Suro (Pew Hispanic Center)
Suzanne Oboler (University of Illinois), "Just Who is Changing What?: Latinos and U.S. Society Today"
Pablo Vila (University of Texas, San Antonio) "Negotiating Gender Among Mexican Immigrants"

Moderator: Nicole Marwell (Columbia University)

Panel 2
Video Preview : panel2.mov

PANEL 2
THE PLACE OF IDENTITY: IS A PAN-LATINOS CULTURE EMERGING?
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Juan Flores (CUNY), "Creolité in the Hood: Diaspora as Source and Challenge"
George Yúdice and Sarah Garland (NYU), "The Transnationalization of
Ethnicity: Salvadoran Maras"
Aurora Flores (journalist, producer and artist), TBA

Moderator: Raquel Rivera (CUNY)

Panel 3
Video Preview : panel3.mov

PANEL 3
ON THE EDGE: THE PUERTO RICAN CASE
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Jorge Duany (University of Puerto Rico), "Puerto Rican Identities on the Edges: Race, Gender, and Transnationalism"
Angel Oquendo (University of Connecticut), "Liking to Be in America: Puerto Rico’s Quest for Difference within the United States"
Jeffrey Farrow, (former Co-Chair of President Clinton’s Interagency Group on Puerto Rico), "Democracy for Puerto Ricans: The Next Step"

Moderator: Frances Negrón-Muntaner (Columbia University)

Panel 4
Video Preview : panel4.mov

PANEL 4
WRITERS In THE ROUND
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Rosario Ferré (author, House on the Lagoon), "Translation as a Way of Life"
Dolores Prida (playwright, One Guy Named José and Four Women Named Maria), "Go ahead, eat me (but remember, you are what you eat)"
Junot Diaz, (author, Drown), "Why my Nike shoe wearing, Levis jean sporting, Red Soxs cap flipping, Motorola phone using, MTV watching, Alicia Keys humming, NY dollar using cousin from the Island swears I'm not Dominican"

Moderator: Gustavo Pérez Firmat (Columbia University)

Frances Negrón-Muntaner

The entire conference is available for sale on VHS or DVD. Video footage shows the four panel discussions in their entirety.

Price:

DVD
$200 (Individuals) ; $300 (Institutions)

To purchase a video or DVD, please send a check or money order for the full amount made out to: "PRProject, Inc.".

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