University of San Francisco Latin American Studies Program

11/16/2019

Interested in demonstrating your support for undocumented students? Then come through to the USF v LMU soccer game *tomorrow* which will be dedicated to immigration awareness and celebrating undocumented students.

If you’d like to contribute towards the Magis Fellowship, then come ready to buy a sweatshirt! Check out the “I support undocumented students” sweatshirts. See y’all there!

03/05/2019

The Global Women's Right Forum kicks off today!

"The focus is global women’s rights, privileging and devoting special attention to the contexts and perspectives of women from marginalized cultures and displaced communities, outside and inside the United States."

Check out the link below for info about the various sessions happening today, Wednesday, and Thursday!

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03/04/2019

Have you written something about Latin American and/or Chicanx-Latinx Studies? Are you interested in possibly winning $200?

Then, check out the LAS & CLS paper prizes down below for more details!

02/20/2019

See you at the LAS Social next Tuesday!

02/18/2019

Mate is more than just a caffeine-rich drink.

Interested in learning about its history and the particular practices associated with mate? Then, come check out the Mateada this Thursday! See the flyer below for more details!

05/01/2018

With protests breaking out and the death of journalists occurring, Nicaragua is experiencing a level of political unrest that it has not seen since the 1970s.

Check out the article down below to learn more about Nicaragua's political history and how that history has contributed to the state of the country today.

President Daniel Ortega, who, in the seventies, helped topple a dictator in Nicaragua, finds himself on the receiving end of political unrest over a proposed cut to social benefits.

04/16/2018

It's that time of year again - time to register for next semester's classes! If you're still looking for classes to take, then, consider enrolling in the Divisadero Publications course.

Divisadero Publications is a Latin American Studies digital journal produced by students. Work will be determined by the number of units taken. For more information make sure to check out the flyer below!

04/10/2018

The recent presidential election in Costa Rica also came with the election of Epsy Campbell, Latin America's first Afro-descendant vice president.

"Campbell is an economist and political scientist who has worked as a consultant and international speaker in the areas of employment, gender, human rights, social development, Afro-descendant and indigenous peoples and racism."

To learn more about her life as a researcher, activist, and politician, check out the article below!

Epsy Campbell will become the country's new vice president

04/02/2018

Since the contested re-election of President Juan Orlando Hernandez in Honduras, close to 40 people have been killed and more than 2,000 arrested.

Now, independent media outlets, like Radio Progresso, who are reporting on election fraud and human rights violation in the country, are being targeted.

Watch the video linked down below to learn more about the latest election, Radio Progresso, and its director, Father Ismael Moreno, who was a close friend of the late indigenous rights activist, Berta Caceres.

The independent radio station is playing a dangerous game - alternative narratives, alternative journalism in Honduras.

03/20/2018

Marielle Franco, a councilwoman from the Maré favela in Rio de Janeiro, was murdered last Wednesday.

"She was executed because she was a black favela dweller who fought against the murder of black favela dwellers. The genocide of the black population continues in this country,” said one of her old college classmates.

Read the article down below to learn more about her work and life.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated.

03/05/2018

This past weekend the film "Una Mujer Fantastica (A Fantastic Woman)" won the Oscar for Best Foreign Film. The film makes history "as the first Oscar winner to feature a transgender storyline with an openly trans actor in the lead role."

Click the link below to see the film's director, Sebastián Lelio, producers, and main cast members accept the award.

Activists praised the win as an "important and overdue moment."

03/05/2018

Come and join us for tonight's Global Women's Rights Forum event: "Walking Social Justice: Making Activism Sustainable for Ourselves." See the flyer for more details.

Also, one of our very own LAS alums, Mary Cruz, will be on the panel! See you there!

In honor of International Women's Day, the Global Women's Right Forum will be held throughout the following dates: March 6, 7, & 8.

Check out the flyer to see the various talks that will be going on each day and the event's main site for more information! https://www.usfca.edu/arts-sci…/…/global-womens-rights-forum

02/26/2018

Organizers of "Coletivo Preto", a black collective, held a "rolezinho" and attended screenings of "Black Panther" at a shopping mall in the white neighborhood of Leblon.

Click on the link down below to read more about how the film has inspired Afro-Brazilians to challenge spaces that are occupied by mostly white people.

Activists planned a 'Rolezinho' protest, which translated to 'Black Stroll' in a mall in the white Brazilian neighborhood, Leblon, surrounded by slums.

02/20/2018

Have you written something about Latin America this year? Submit your best original essay or scholarly paper to win the LAS Paper Prize! The prize includes $250 and an honorable mention in the commencement program if you are a graduating senior.

Check out the flyer for more guidelines and deadlines!

02/19/2018

Ever been curious about mate and what to do in a "ronda de mate?

Come to La Mateada on February 22 to learn about the origins of the drink and how to prepare it! Check out the flyer for more details!

01/29/2018

Journalists following indigenous presidential candidate Maria de Jesus Patricio “Marichuy” Martinez were attacked by unidentified, armed men on January 21. They were threatened and robbed of their equipment.

Check out the article down below to learn more about Marichuy and the importance of her unprecedented candidacy.

Marichuy's support from the Zapatistas marks a more visible turn for the insurgent movement, which has faded in recent years.

01/23/2018

The non-profit Front Line Defenders have published a report, that explained that out of the 312 human rights defenders murder in this past year, nearly 70% were from Latin America. Some countries even saw an increase in homophobic and transphobic attacks.

Read more to find out about the complicity of some Latin American governments in these killings.

Most of the killings in Latin America took place in Colombia, Brazil, Mexico and Honduras, according to the report.

12/04/2017

It's been a week since the contested presidential election in Honduras between incumbent Juan Orlando Hernández and Opposition Alliance Against the Dictatorship coalition candidate, Salvador Nasralla.

Check out the article below to learn more about why this election has resulted in a crisis and the repercussions that the Honduran people are facing because of it.

After a week since Honduran elections took place, the Central American country remains in limbo. The disputed elections led to mass protests against the current president.

11/20/2017

Mexican artist, Mónica Mayer, created a piece titled, "El Tendedero/The Clothesline Project" that invites women to share their stories of sexual assault/abuse anonymously on a pink piece of paper and then hang them on a clothesline.

Check out the article below to view a piece of this installation that will be on view until January 5 at the National Museum of Women in the Arts.

Mónica Mayer 'El Tendedero's exhibit is made up of notes from victims of sexual abuse and harassment.

11/15/2017

Stop by and join us tomorrow for the CELASA Brown Bag: Criminal Law and Gender in Brazil with visiting scholar Isadora Machado!

Check out the flyer for more info!

10/11/2017

Michelle Suarez became Uruguay's first transgender senator, and this isn't her first breakthrough either. She was also the first transgender person ever to earn a law degree in Uruguay.

Check out the article to learn more about how she plans to push for a law that would allow transgender individuals to change their legal identities along with other major changes.

Michelle Suarez became Uruguay's first transgender senator Tuesday, vowing to use her position to expand and protect the rights of transgender people in the South American country. The 34-year-old lawmaker representing the Communist Party assumed her seat in the upper chamber of congress,...

10/04/2017

Puerto Rico is currently facing a humanitarian crisis. More than 16 people have been confirmed dead, 1.5 million residents lack potable water, and the entire country suffered a power outage, and now, relief efforts might be stunted.

Read the article down below to learn more about how the island’s status as a territory is impeding relief efforts.

If you are looking for a way to help, then, check out the following link to see the various ways in which you can lend a hand: http://time.com/4964178/how-to-help-puerto-rico-donate-volunteer/

Because of its status, the recovery of the Caribbean archipelago – home to 3.4 million people – is slow moving.

09/26/2017

Today marks the 3rd anniversary of the disappearance of the 43 students from Ayotzinapa.

“Ayotzinapa: A Cartography of Violence” is an interactive cartographic platform that maps out and examines the different narratives the night of the disappearance. The site is centered around a detailed map, adjustable timeline, and 3D interactive models of the main crime scenes. It also includes videos, like the one below, that chronologically detail the events of September 26-27.

To see this cartographic platform for yourself and learn more about this case, check out http://www.plataforma-ayotzinapa.org

This is "Plataforma Ayotzinapa Introduction" by Forensic Architecture on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

09/20/2017

Join us tomorrow from 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm in the Maier Room, Fromm Hall for "Appearances and Disappearances: Images at the Turn of the Century" by Julio Pantoja, an Argentine photodocumentalist, journalist, and Director of the Argentine Documentary Photography Biennale.

The event will be in Spanish with English translation provided.

09/12/2017

The last time Santiago Maldonado was seen was on August 1 during a protest against the military police eviction operation against the Pu Lof Mapuche community. Members of his family had said that he was forcibly disappeared by the state.

More than a month later, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights has expressed concerned over the progress of this case.

Argentines and human rights organizations across the world continue to ask the government, "Where is Santiago?"

09/07/2017

"The Renca reserve in the eastern Amazon is home to indigenous tribes and large areas of untouched forest. Its size is larger than Denmark and about 30% of it was to be opened to mining."

Read below to see why the head of the World Wide Fund for Nature believes would happen if this decree were to take place.

The order prevents the government from exploiting a protected area bigger than Denmark.

09/05/2017

"The internationally-recognized holiday was first celebrated in 1983, in memory Indigenous fighter Bartolina Sisa, wife of Tupac Katari. She was brutally murdered on Sept. 5, 1782 by Spanish royalist forces in Upper Peru."

Check out the article down below to learn more about the "Indigenous Women Entrepreneurs Expo" that Chile is holding in honor of the holiday.

The holiday is celebrated in Bolivia, Peru, Chile, Argentina and Venezuela.

08/31/2017

The Delfin Chileno announced their candidacy earlier this month for the Chilean presidential election. Greenpeace backed this candidate as part of their campaign, "Save the Seas at the End of the World." The candidacy's platform is being used to highlight the need for strong climate change leadership in Chile.

Check out the article below to see why Chile is one of the top 10 countries most affected by climate change.

Greenpeace is backing a dolphin in Chile’s upcoming presidential election to call attention to the need for strong climate leadership in the country. Delfin Chileno's platform calls for government to get serious about protecting Chile’s environmental heritage and the Patagonian Seas, particularly fr...

05/16/2017

05/08/2017

The decision to prematurely release Norberto Bianco, a doctor who participated in taking hundreds of newborns away during the 1976-1983 military dictatorship, came days after a controversial Supreme Court decision that also reduced the sentence of a dictatorship-era agent that was charged for crimes against humanity.

Learn more about why this decision sparked outrage among groups such as Mothers and Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo down below.

The dictatorship-era doctor completed two-thirds of his sentence for aiding the military regime in stealing hundreds of babies.