Events planned at Grand Valley to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

ALLENDALE, Mich. -- Numerous events and lectures are planned by the Office of Multicultural Affairs to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month at Grand Valley.

The Latino Student Union will kick off events on September 14 and 15, from 11 a.m.-1 p.m., with a celebration of Latino music near the Cook Carillon Tower. All events during the month-long celebration are open to the public and free of charge; for more information, contact the Office of Multicultural Affairs at (616) 331-2177 or visit www.gvsu.edu/oma .

• Immigration Forum, September 14, 6-9 p.m., DeVos Center, Loosemore Auditorium, Pew Grand Rapids Campus: Panelists scheduled are Richard Kessler, attorney; Andrew Schlewitz, Latin American Studies faculty member; Jeff Smith, Grand Rapids Institute for Information Democracy; and Mary Vaccaro, Catholic Information Center
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• “Wall of Shadows,” September 16, 4-5:30 p.m., Kirkhof Center, Grand River Room: Filmmaker Barbara Martinez Jitner will discuss her documentary “Wall of Shadows,” which exposed crime and corruption in Juarez, Mexico. She is part of the Professionals of Color Lecture Series.

• Latinos: Beyond Tacos and Sombreros, September 21, noon-1 p.m., Kirkhof Center, Grand River Room: Juan A. Colon will explore the stereotypes and myths of the Hispanic and Latino cultures.

• Voices of Immigration: The Challenge of Being a Foreign Writer in America, September 24, 11a.m.-noon, Kirkhof Center, Grand River Room: Peruvian writer Hemil Garcia Linares will share his experiences as a non-American author in the U.S.

• Latinos in the U.S., September 30, 4-6 p.m. Kirkhof Center, Grand River Room: Enrique Figueroa, director of the Roberto Hernandez Center at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, will discuss race relations that move beyond a black-white paradigm.

• Converations about “Cartoneros,” October 6, 4-6 p.m., Kirkhof Center, Grand River Room: Ernesto Livon-Grossman, director of “Cartoneros,” will discuss his film via Skype. The movie follows the paper recycling process in Buenos Aires from the trash pickers to executives in large mills. The film records the economic and social crisis in that country that ensued after the paper industry collapsed.

• Leadership for our Diverse Communities, October 14, 6-7 p.m., Cook-DeWitt Center: Juana Bordas, president of Mestiza Leadership International, will share strategies to build communities in diverse societies.

• Discovering the Meaning of the Day of the Dead, October 28-29, noon-2 p.m., Kirkhof Center, Grand River Room: Local artist Erick Pichardo will discuss alter making to celebrate “Dia de Los Muertos,” or the Day of the Dead.

Many campus departments are co-sponsors of Hispanic Heritage Month events: Women’s Center, Women’s Commission, Inclusion and Equity, Latin American Studies, College of Education, Housing and Residence Life, Honors College, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Modern Languages and Literatures, Pew Student Services and Padnos International Center.