Written by: Lupita Gonzalez
Hi everyone! For those of you that don’t know me, my name is Lupita Gonzalez and I’m a graduate assistant with MSA working primarily with the Latinx student population at NU. This week on the blog I’ll be sharing some exciting details about a new programming series coming to MSA.
One of the things that I’ve been working diligently on this winter quarter is our first ever Latinx Book Club. MSA already has an array of wonderful book clubs open to students, such as our APIDA and Queer Book Clubs, and our Indigenous Reading Series, so I was lucky enough to be able to model our Latinx Book Club after its predecessors. The MSA Latinx Book Club will partner with the Latina and Latino Studies Program (LLSP) to highlight and celebrate diverse and important Latinx stories and voices by reading and discussing one book a quarter. Our Winter quarter book pick is titled The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio. Our Winter discussion date will be on Wednesday, March 3rd from 5 to 6:30 PM. Head over to the Book Clubs and Reading Series page of our website to register for the discussion and receive a free copy of the book!
The Latinx Book Club holds a special place in my heart. Like many Latinx individuals, I know the disappointment and pain of having grown up with very little representation in media that wasn’t shrouded in harmful, racist stereotypes. I know the feeling of yearning to see yourself, your family and loved ones, reflected in stories, accurately, with nuance, agency, and full recognition of your humanity. While we are nowhere close to equity, I find myself feeling so grateful at the plethora of stories being shared and authored by Latinx storytellers today.
I had all of this in mind as I was deciding on the book for our first discussion. I wanted to choose a story that would make people in our community feel seen and heard. I believe that Karla Cornejo Villavicencio does this when she shares her story and amplifies those of her fellow undocumented Americans. While certainly, not everyone in the Latinx community is undocumented, many of us know or love someone who has faced oppression because of their legal status. Villavicencio’s book addresses the undocumented experience with integrity and empathy that is too often missing from immigrant or undocumented narratives and is best communicated by those who have lived it.
I hope to continue to cultivate and strengthen our sense of community through the Latinx Book Club. I look forward to reading, discussing, and learning with you all – see you on March 3rd!
Hasta luego,
Lupita