Summer 2025 Newsletter

Dear Latin Americanist Community,

       I wish this message was a straightforward congratulatory note to our students who graduated this month. Unfortunately, I begin acknowledging the difficult moment our university and city experience because of federal immigration enforcement actions. Los Angeles is a city of immigrants, and many community members are afraid for their integrity and the wellbeing of their families. It is profoundly sad and unjust that many students and parents had to ponder whether it was worth taking the risk of participating in the recent commencement ceremonies.

I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to all graduates and their families. A person’s completion of an undergraduate or an advanced degree is both an individual and a collective accomplishment. The LAI is proud to help many UCLA students cross the finish line every year by supporting, educationally and financially, their research projects and foreign language learning. On behalf of all at the Latin American Institute, good luck with your postgraduate plans and stay in touch!

We finished the academic year with our recent annual in-person workshop for K-12 educators, which took place June 16-18. This year’s theme, Rhythms in Migration: The Ongoing Presence of African Influences in Latin American Music, will continue in the fall with the addition of dance as social and cultural practice. You can always watch and learn the recorded lectures by artists and scholars who participated in the current cycle and that are available on the LAI’s YouTube channel.

I’m happy to announce three new contributions to our blog. The article, Inside the Community of Califla: Passion, Identity, and Legacy, by Mallory Adragna (with photos by Luis Felipe Romaneli) examines myriad social and cultural connections between Brazil and the United States, zooming in on the followers of Brazilian soccer club, Flamengo, and their lively gatherings in southern California. Thanks for this wonderful contribution to our blog, Mallory! Verónica Zavala, LAI’s outreach coordinator, is sharing a blog post about Carmen Anders, a High School teacher who has led Spanish immersion trips to Oaxaca, Mexico. Verónica also wrote a post about her recent participation in an international colloquium on Mexican singer, actor and filmmaker, Antonio Aguilar, which took place at the Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas. Well done, Vero! 

I close this message wishing you an enjoyable summer and inviting you to give to the mission of the UCLA Latin American Institute and its centers, programs, and working groups. Your generous contributions support the lively intellectual life of the institute, student research, and our vibrant outreach activities. Thanks!       

Rubén Hernández-León,
Director of the UCLA Latin American Institute