The College of Southern Maryland’s (CSM) Global Initiatives Committee is set to host a Latino Educational Panel and Festival on March 29 at 2 p.m. at the Leonardtown campus. The free event will feature an afternoon of entertainment, storytelling, and a panel discussion on immigrant stories.
“The mission of the Global Initiatives Committee is to educate our community about international issues,” said CSM Professor of Geography Dr. David Walker. “I think this event, and especially the panel discussion, will speak to a lot of the changes that are happening in our tri-county area. Southern Maryland’s Latino population is growing quickly, and it’s important that we put a face on these issues for our community.”
The event will kick off with a performance by CSM’s Latino Ensemble, featuring styles such as salsa, bolero, cha-cha-chá, and modern renditions of Latin pop and jazz. A panel discussion on immigrant stories will follow, with Tania Lizarazo and Thania Muñoz of UMBC sharing their digital storytelling project, “Intercultural Tales: Learning With Baltimore’s Immigrant Communities.” The two professors, who are immigrants from Colombia and Mexico respectively, involve students in exploring immigration, borders, and language through their work. The discussion will be moderated by Walker and Dr. Ximena Postigo, professor of Spanish and Latin American Studies at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, who is an immigrant from Bolivia.
The afternoon will conclude with a taste of Mexican culture and food provided by local restaurant Taqueria Los Compadres.
“I hope people leave with a better idea of what some of the push and pull factors are with immigration, why people would be willing to risk their lives to immigrate here, what their contributions are and what their lives look like once they’re here,” said Walker.
The event is open to the public, and the CSM Global Initiatives Committee invites the community to join in a celebration of Latino culture.
For more information on the event, visit https://www.csmd.edu/calendar/2023/03/latino-educational-panel-and-festival.html.