Celebrating Inclusive Illinois: Latin America and the Caribbean

Next Wednesday may be Inclusive Illinois Day (which you can read more about here), but no matter what day it is, it’s always enriching to learn about people, especially all the different cultures and histories that they can represent. If you’ve been wanting to learn more about Latin American and Caribbean cultures, you’re in luck – there are tons of events and resources available from the library and elsewhere in the CU that can expose you to new knowledge.

If you’ve never been to Champaign’s  Art Theater Co-op, you’re missing out. They show great movies, and you can get a student discount for most movies if you show your I-Card. Starting this Friday, in collaboration with the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, they’re holding the annual Latin American Film Festival. There are seven different Latin American documentaries and films to choose from, playing over the entire weekend – or you can go see them all! Check out the trailers on the Art’s website.

You can also tune in on the small screen (a television, if you have access to one) to watch ‘Latino Americans,’ PBS’s original miniseries celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs September 15th through October 15th. A new segment airs every Tuesday night.

Too busy with homework to go see a movie or watch TV? If you’re studying in the library, you can always take a short study break to check out the Unity in Diversity exhibit on the first floor of the main library, curated by the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies Library. It features just a few of the wide-ranging resources that the library contains on Latin American studies. Or, if you have an afternoon free, mosey over to the Spurlock Museum to check out their Folk Art of Latin America exhibit.

And if you still can’t get enough, you can grab one of these movies or books by and about Latin American or Caribbean people on your way home from the library. Opportunities abound!

A Tree Within by Octavio Paz

A Tree Within by Octavio Paz (translated by Eliot Weinberger)

fruit of the lemon by andrea levyFruit of the Lemon by Andrea Levy

At the Bottom of the River by jamaica kinkaidAt the Bottom of the River by Jamaica Kincaid

Vivir para contarla by Gabriel Garcia MarquezViva para Contarla (Living to Tell the Tale) by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

The Country Under My Skin by gioconda belliThe Country Under My Skin: A Memoir of Love and War by Gioconda Belli

Collected Fictions by jorge luis borgesCollected Fictions by Jorge Luis Borges (translated by Andrew Hurley)

La Sirga cover

La Sirga directed by William Vega

The Devil's Backbone coverThe Devil’s Backbone directed by Guillermo del Toro

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2 thoughts on “Celebrating Inclusive Illinois: Latin America and the Caribbean

  1. This article certainly inspired me to keep working on my Spanish. Currently we are working on inclusive activities at Guangzhou University http://guangda.info. Maybe we can have something like this for USA and Canada. Latin America and the Caribbean are certainly rich in culture and history.

    • They certainly are! We’re glad you found it inspiring. Hopefully your inclusive activities will inspire people as well!

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