Latinx Research Center

The LRC is a faculty-led research hub at UC Berkeley that is home to cutting edge research about the diverse Latinx community of the US. We provide a community of respect and support to top tier faculty, graduate and undergraduate student researchers, and visiting scholars. We work to transform campus culture towards one that will be fluent in the intellectual diversity that the cultural diversity of communities of color, including the US Latinx, bring to the ongoing project of greater democracy. Latinxs are California’s largest and most rapidly growing minority population whose presence dates to the formation of the United States. We work to illuminate the foundational and ongoing contributions of Latinxs and to support equity, inclusion, and justice for the greater Latinx community through meaningful research.

In the Spotlight

Laura E. Pérez

Chair, Latinx Research Center

“Authors Meet Critics” discussion focused on Professor Laura Elisa Pérez’s book Eros Ideologies: Writings on Art, Spirituality, and the Decolonial:

In the Media

‘Black Lives Matter’ merece todo nuestro apoyo

by Cristina Mora

Latest Talk

Book Talk: A Kiss Across the Ocean

John Alba Cutler converses with Richard T. Rodriguez and about Dr. Rodriguez’s recent book “A Kiss Across the Ocean: Transatlantic Intimacies of British Post-Punk and U.S. Latinidad.” Published by Duke University Press, the book explores the relationship between British post-punk musicians and their Latinx audiences in the United States since the 1980s.

Latino Studies Stagnation

The National Disinvestment in Latino Studies and Scholarship. 1960-2020

Higher education, much like the U.S., is becoming increasingly Latino. With more Hispanic Serving institutions than ever before, and more Latinos in college, the future – by these measures – seems increasingly more just. Yet recent data collected by UC Berkeley professors G. Cristina Mora and Nicholas Vargas (incoming July 23) and UCB undergraduate Dominic Cedillo suggest that there is significantly more to be done to ensure Latino equity and thriving in higher education.

Listen To Our Podcasts

Episode 2: The Soulwound

In this chapter, Stephanie Gutierrez Rios narrates her story of a Latinx Xicatriz unseen, but cross-generationally felt. Calling in historical context and interrogating the possibility of Xanacion.

 
 

Episode 1: What’s in a Name?

This series is about the term Latinx and Latinx identity. Our premise builds on Alán Pelaez Lopez’s notion of Latinx as “the visible wound that the ‘X’ forces the Latin American diaspora to confront.” In an effort to heal, this series looks at the wounds of Latinx communities — how we’ve been wounded and how in turn we wound each other. We place urgency on exposing our wounds because, in order to treat an injury, we must see it. Expose it. Examine it. Find its origins and roots.
 
 

 

Riot or Uprising: A Conversation with Pierre Labbossiere on the Haitian Crisis

Haiti has seen a series of demonstrations since September of 2019 that were triggered by a fuel shortage. Shortly after, demonstrators started demanding the resignation of President Jovenel Moise. Media outlets have depicted these demonstrations as riots. In this podcast, we hear from Pierre Labossiere, co-founder of the Haiti Action Committee, and look at the history of Haiti, to determine whether these demonstrations are in fact riots or whether they are part of an uprising that stems from Haiti’s long history of resistance towards oppressive forces.

 

Language and Violence in Brazil with Dr. Daniel Silva

In this podcast, we work through several themes including social media’s role in Brazil, especially through WhatsApp, in constructing false narratives of political figures and events. We talk about Jair Bolsonaro and his use of language and its relationship with physical violence. We try to hash out what is novel about information today including the speed of information spreading and the vastly diverse amounts of information available to the public. We also discuss popular resistance in Brazil and the case of Marielle Franco. Lastly, we discuss the ideal future of how to deal with the rise of hateful language seen in Brazil. Is legal action appropriate? Is it constitutional? Ethical? Or, is there a responsibility for communities and people to stigmatize hateful language? And, how can this be done?

 

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Upcoming Events

Spring 2023 Events Calendar

Border Hacker: A Conversation with Roberto Lovato, Levi Vonk, and Axel Kirschner

The Tonalamatl as Talking Book: Conversing with Time-Persons in the Key of Life

Afro Mexicanidad: A Symposium – Session 1