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The Latinx Research Center (LRC) is a faculty-led research center offering support and collaboration to campus and other researchers focused on U.S. Latinx and hemispheric communities. The LRC is an internationally recognized hub for Latinx-focused research and partners broadly across campus, the state, the U.S., and the globe. Founded initially through state mandate in 1989, as the Center for Latino Policy Research (CLPR), the Center fostered social sciences-centered research, conferences, symposia, and white papers on Latinxs and education, the environment, Indigenous communities, migration, and technology.

Today, the LRC research portfolio has expanded to include the arts, education, gender, health, history, media, the sciences, and sexuality. Through our independent fundraising, the LRC provides full-time staff positions, post-doctoral opportunities, dissertation, and undergraduate research opportunities to outstanding research initiatives. The LRC showcases cutting-edge Latinx research by Berkeley's scholars through public programming. The LRC provides training to students in leadership skills, digital publications, podcast production, and other research opportunities across disciplines.

2026 Fall Semester Events & Activities:

Saturday, September 5, 2026 | 4 - 7 PM
Tailgate
In partnership with the Chicanx Latinx Studies Program, the Chicanx Latinx Alumni Association Bay Area Chapter, and the Gamma Zeta Alpha Fraternity Alumni Association, we cordially invite you to join us for a tailgate at the LRC. Let’s cheer on our California Golden Bears as they take on the UCLA Bruins in our annual home opener football game.

Wednesday, September 16, 2026 | 4 - 6 PM
Welcome Reception
Join us to reconnect after summer break and welcome our Latinx faculty, alumni, students, and the broader campus community as we celebrate and strengthen our community!

October 2026 | Date+Time TBD
"Forced by Circumstance" by Dr. Norma Alarcón. A New Book Presentation and Conversation

In partnership with the Social Science Matrix, we will host a new book presentation by Norma Alarcón, Professor Emerita of Chicanx Latinx Studies at UC Berkeley, a groundbreaking Chicana theorist and feminist scholar. This powerful new book chronicles her lifetime of scholarship, activism, and lived experience.

Tuesday, October 20, 2026 | 12 - 1:30 PM
"Normalizing Inequality" A New Book Presentation by Professors G. Cristina Mora and Tianna S. Paschel
In partnership with the Institute for Research on Labor and Employment and the UC Berkeley Labor Center, we will host a new book presentation by Professors Mora and Paschel. The book describes how Californians have learned to live with and largely accept great inequality despite their strong dislike of it and desire for change.

Thursday, October 29, 2026 | 4:30 - 6:30 PM
"Radical Solidarity: Ruth Reynolds, Political Allyship, and the Battle for Puerto Rico's Independence" A New Book Discussion with Professor Lisa G. Materson
In partnership with the History Department and Ethnic Studies Department, we will host a discussion about the new book by Professor Lisa G. Materson. In her book, she introduces the concept of "radical solidarity" to describe Reynolds's impactful model for globally engaged activism.

Thursday, November 12, 2026 | 5 - 6:30 PM
"The Roots & Routes of US-Mexico Border Migration" A Poetry Book Presentation by Professor Arturo Dávila
Migration has always been a violent experience for those who leave their countries due to poverty and/or political oppression. Professor Arturo Dávila's bilingual poetry reading will present and explore some of the causes and consequences of migration. Using Paul Gilroy's idea of roots and routes, he will focus on lyrical forms to humanize the experiences of Global South migrants.

Wednesday, December 2, 2026 | 4 - 6 PM
"Que Amanezca! Sacqarib'al: The Dialogues of Knowledge" Film Screening and Discussion with Javier Mateos-Campos
This documentary film project focuses on Maya Kosmovision. The film chronicles the work of a research team in sacred talking circles with students, artists, activists, social leaders, and community members across Guatemala and California. These circles serve as a platform for discussing broader issues of self-determination, self-identification, sovereignty, and autonomy among Maya and detribalized peoples.

Friday, December 11, 2026 | 12 - 2 PM
Latinx Posada and Tiendita
Join us for our end-of-semester "Latinx Posada," a festive gathering to celebrate the holiday season, honor our Latinx traditions, and close out the semester together in community. This event will also feature a "Tiendita," providing an opportunity for students, staff, faculty, and community members to sell their handcrafted items to support artists and craftspeople from our community.

Listen to Our Podcasts:

In this episode, artist Amalia Mesa-Bains sits down with Prof. Laura E. Pérez to discuss the remarkable retrospective of her work, now a traveling exhibition being showcased in museums nationwide. Mesa-Bains reflects on seeing her decades-spanning art collection together for the first time, offering insights into her unique perspective on art.

Listen to the full episode on SoundCloud