Illinois State University Latin American and Latino/a Studies

04/30/2026

Amaya Olivas is a senior student double-majoring in sociology and political science with a Latin American and Latino Studies minor who will graduate this May.

10/07/2025

Prof. Jesse Mumm will be speaking this week as part of Latinx Heritage Month.

10/02/2025

Tomorrow at noon.

08/28/2025

https://news.illinoisstate.edu/2025/08/lals-welcomes-raylinn-vasquez/

Meet the new graduate assistant in Latin American

08/26/2025

08/26/2025

Isu festival today. Stop by our table and meet our new graduate assistant, Ray Vasquez and our intern, Gabby DeGante.

08/04/2025

Opening of Latinx Heritage Month 2025

We are excited to announce our newest Schroeder Hall Gallery photography exhibit by Sonny Garcia, titled “PUNKROCKER: Music and activism in the heartland”! Co-sponsored by the Department of Sociology & Anthropology, the Latin American and Latino/a Studies Program, and the Wonsook Kim School of Art, this exhibition presents black-and-white photographs as both veil and mirror to our times, created in response to the rise of an American fascist regime. The images capture the local resistance-its rage, beauty, and solidarity-spanning generations, faiths, and identities. Born from a lifelong love of punk sparked at 16, when Sonny Garcia first dove into a mosh pit at an Uptown Normal show in the 1980s, his work channels punk's raw defiance and radical love for community.

Please join us on Wednesday, September 17th from 5:00-6:30 pm for our exhibit opening reception. Light refreshments will be provided. The gallery is on the 2nd floor of Schroeder Hall, in the center commons area. This event is free and open to all!

07/22/2025

Don’t miss it!

Concerts on the Quad at Illinois State University
Monday July 28 @ 7pm
Singing Under the Stars Artist Bio
Adriana Martinez, soprano

A versatile singer and scholar, Dr. Adriana Martínez, soprano, appears regularly with MIOpera, most recently in Dido and Aeneas (2024), Pirates of Penzance (2023) and as Mimì (cover) in La Bohème (2019). Previous roles include Gertrude (Hänsel und Gretel), Second Lady (Die Zauberflöte), Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni, cover), and Mrs. Gobineau (The Medium). She has performed in Italy, Austria, Mexico, Canada, and throughout the U.S. Dr. Martínez holds degrees from The University of Charleston (WV) and the Eastman School of Music. An expert on Latin American music, she is passionate about the Ibero-American vocal repertoire and has done several clinics, masterclasses and lecture-recitals on the subject, including at Illinois Wesleyan University (2023) and for the National Association of Teachers of Singing Central Region (2021). Dr. Martínez is Associate Professor of Music at Eureka College (IL), where she teaches voice, music history, music theory, and directs the Opera Workshop.

04/23/2025

https://news.illinoisstate.edu/2025/04/students-celebrate-bilingual-advocacy-week-distinguished-educator-visiting-illinois-state/

Dr. Antonia Darder will give the keynote lecture for Bilingual Advocacy Week on April 24.

02/12/2025

https://news.illinoisstate.edu/2025/02/student-spotlight-xiomara-vargas/

The Latin American and Latino/a Program Student Spotlight highlights the educational achievements and experiences of undergraduate students in our program. This month we highlight the work of Xioma…