Latino Americans: 500 Years of History: Home

Hispanic Heritage Month at NCC!

SUNY/NCC - Hispanic Heritage Month 2023/24 "

Abriendo Puertas/Opening Doors: Celebrating Diversity, Pursuing Freedom, and Driving Prosperity" Lecture: “Education as a Path to Freedom” Wednesday, September 27th 11:00-12:15 Place: CCB 252/253

When our pasts, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds are invoked, it is often as code suggesting that the limits of our potentials have already been set. Our personal histories become the prescribed outcome of our futures. The words of the biblical figure Paul, “except for these chains,” spoken from a prison cell come as a resound disclaimer to the notion that what was will also dictate what will be. This talk will examine a personal – but familiar – history, and raise questions about the power of education which seek to implicate us all. At 16, Elias was sentenced to a term of 30-years-to-Life in prison. He served 29 ½ years of that term. He is featured in the Netflix documentary College Behind Bars. Prof. Beltrán will speak about the role education plays in a person’s life.

Prof. Elias Beltrán is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Comparative Literature Department, at Cornell University. He teaches Spanish language and Freshmen Writing seminar courses. Prof. Beltrán is also an Instructor for the Bard Prison Initiative at Bard College, where he teaches incarcerated students. His research focuses on post- and decolonial trauma, as well as the history and culture of the Caribbean and its literature.

Panel Discussion

Overcoming Trauma and Building a Prosperous Nation: True Stories about the Journey to Seek Asylum in the U.S.

Monday, October 9th 3:30-4:45 Place: CCB 252/253

The current influx of migrants and asylum seekers in NYC has precipitated an unprecedent social and political crisis, as well as the resurgence of a new wave of xenophobia and anti-immigrant vilification mythology in the city. In 2022, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees announced that the global refugee crisis had surpassed the 100 million mark for total displacement. This means that over 1.2% of the global population has been forced to leave their homes. In this panel, we will have the opportunity to meet and hear the true stories of two refugees who are productive members of our local NY area.

Panelists: Fabiola Lemos endured years of psychological and physical abuse prior to being granted asylum in the U.S. based on sexual orientation. In 2001, Fabiola became the first Brazilian lesbian to be granted asylum in the U.S. Currently, she lives in Chelsea and works for NYC agencies that provide healthcare access for the elderly.

Jesus Morales was recently granted asylum status in the U.S. thorough The Cuban Adjustment Act. Prior to coming to the U.S., he was a second-year Medical Student in his native Cuba. Jesus is currently working on an undergraduate degree in Biology. Afterwards, he plans to attend Medical School in the U.S.

Lecture

 The Origin and Ongoing Evolution of SARS-CoV-2: Latina Scientists in the Fight against Covid-19 

Friday, October 13th 12:30-1:45 Place: F-237

In this talk, Dr. Gonzalez will share her experience as a Latina female and a Scientist, member of the NYC Department of Health, in the frontline of the “War against Covid-19”. Dr. Gonzalez will discuss the process how she and her colleagues at the NYC Department of Health and the University of California, San Diego, used the whole genome sequencing of the Covid-19 virus to identify one of the first reported cases of a recombinant variant involving the swapping of genetic material between an Alpha and an Epsilon variant. Dr. Gonzalez will be discussing the significance of these findings for the future of the pandemic.

Dr. Marlyn González majored in Biology at Queens College and earned her PhD in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the Graduate Center of CUNY. Her PhD thesis was on the development of genetic screens for defects in fungal cell wall production to identify anti-fungal drug targets. Since earning her PhD, she has held positions as a research scientist at New York University and the New York Blood Center, the Chief of Molecular Microbiology at the NYC Department of Health, and as an Adjunct Professor of Biology at Bronx Community College. She is an author on 22 peer-reviewed publications including Nature Communications vol. 13.1, 2022. This paper is on the emergence of novel variants of SARS-CoV-2 in patients simultaneously infected with more than one variant of the virus. Dr. González will be discussing these findings during her presentation.

******** For further information, contact Professor Rick J. Santos, Ph.D.