University of Michigan Latina/o Studies

09/03/2026

Join La Casa’s newest initiative at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor! A mentorship program called “Camino A Casa” dedicated to helping students feel a sense of belonging, learning how to navigate campus and a PWI, friendships, and cultural exploration. Whether you're looking for guidance or ready to give it, there's a spot for you. Scan the QR code or click the link below to sign up as a mentor or mentee!

09/03/2026

La Tertulia is an informal Spanish conversation hour for all students, graduate students, faculty, staff, and campus members at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. All levels of Spanish are welcome.

Fridays, 10:00-11:00am, RLL Commons, Fourth Floor MLB
Fall 2026: Friday, September 4 to December 11

Our event provides a fun, friendly, informal, and stress-free environment in which students can practice their speaking, listening, and conversational skills with other students or instructors. It is also a great way for students to prepare for their oral exams or to prepare for their study abroad programs, or for returning study abroad students to keep up their conversational skills. Participants can come for the whole hour or just part, whatever works best! Snacks, baked goods, coffee, tea, and other refreshments are provided.

Questions? Please contact Julie Harrell.

08/19/2026

Hilos de Identidad: Latino Voices of Detroit Exhibit at Wayne State University (Opening Reception: Friday, September 18, 2026)

Hilos de Identidad: Latino Voices of Detroit
September 18 through December 12, 2026

Rooted in the heartbeat of close-knit barrios, spaces shaped by tradition, family, memory, and mutual care, Latino artists living and working across Detroit transform the uncertainties of everyday life into bold declarations of presence and pride. Hilos de Identidad: Latino Voices of Detroit honors the ways art becomes refuge and resonance: the vibrant colors of celebration, the weight of untold stories, all held within a city already defined by resilience.

This exhibition celebrates the impact of Latino artists, carrying their cultural inheritance and artistic legacy into a space where the city’s past and future intersect, contributing to the city’s ongoing transformation. At a time when identity and belonging are increasingly called into question, their work becomes a cultural footprint in motion.

Exhibition includes work by the following artists:

Diana Alva, Peter Daniel Bernal, Elton Monroy Duran, Jacinto Herrera, Mary Laredo Herbeck, Alvaro Jurado, Kimbery Lavone, Juan Martinez, Nora Chapa Mendoza, Ivan Montoya, Irene Perez, Dalia Reyes, Julianna Sanroman Rojas, Vito Valdez, and George Vargas.

September 18 through December 12, 2026

Elaine L. Jacob Gallery Wayne State University
480 W Hancock St, Detroit, MI 48201
https://www.waynestategalleries.org/

Opening Reception:
Friday, September 18, 5:00-8:00PM

06/22/2026

Where are they now?
Say hello to Rebecca Goldberg, Artist for Designs by RebeccaMich, LLC. She urges students to "Learn forever, even after your time in AC is done!". Read more below.

06/15/2026

Where are they now?
Say hello to Cristina Faiver-Serna, Assistant Professor of Women's and Gender Studies & Geography at the University of New Hampshire. She believes that we need American and ethnic studies now more than ever. Read more below!

05/11/2026

Where are they now?
Meet Christina Abreu, Director of the Center for Latino and Latin American Studies and Associate Professor of History at Northern Illinois University. Her recent work focuses on boxing champion Teófilo Stevenson. Read more below!

05/10/2026

With a legendary juror, ‘Trabajadores’ show connects art, labor, Latino identity. From construction sites to canvas, a Detroit exhibition brings Latino workers into the spotlight.

"Trabajadores" opened Friday, May 1, at La Galería in Southwest Detroit, showcasing Latino workers and artists with 94-year-old painter Nora Chapa Mendoza as juror. She is a 2024 Kresge Eminent Artist and her work on migrant laborers and Chicano identity is featured in the Smithsonian Archives of American Art.

The show runs through May 28 at La Galería, a community art space run by the Mexicantown Community Development Corp. at 2835 Bagley St. in Detroit.

'Trabajadores' opens May 1 in Southwest Detroit, celebrating Latino workers with 94-year-old Kresge artist Nora Chapa Mendoza as juror.

05/08/2026

Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, known to the world as Bad Bunny, did not just climb the charts; he bypassed the entire industry machine. Moving from bagging groceries in Puerto Rico to becoming a global icon, he proved you do not need to sing in English to own the stage—a feat anchored by his his...

05/08/2026

LACS Virtual Residency Program Connects U-M and UPR.

Four faculty members from UPR join the 2026 University of Michigan Center for Latin American & Caribbean Studies (LACS) Virtual Residency Program.

https://ii.umich.edu/lacs/news-events/news/search-news/virtual-residency-program.html

04/29/2026

Ecuador Classroom in the Clouds. A ‘pedagogy of love’ rewires the lesson, students are taking note. Story by Fernanda Pires. Images by Janis Carrion-Paute and Fernanda Pires. Video by Janis Carrion-Paute and Rafaella Terán.

ECUADOR—Nearly two miles up in the Andes, a rural high school turns its surrounding forest and mountain ridges into a living classroom. Beside a volcano, University of Michigan students walk with local educators and Indigenous youth to see what a typical school day looks like in this remote community near Otavalo.

The 24 U‑M undergraduates traveled to Otavalo and Quito, Ecuador’s capital city, as part of a 3‑credit course examining how schools navigate cultural and economic realities. They are pursuing different majors, though many were drawn by an interest in education.

Working alongside Ecuadorian students, the group explores how Indigenous traditions and global education models intersect in everyday classroom practice.

For continuation, see here: https://news.umich.edu/ecuador-classroom-in-the-clouds-a-pedagogy-of-love-rewires-the-lesson-students-are-taking-note/