Indiana University Bloomington professors have prepared comments about Hispanic issues to coincide with Hispanic Heritage Month, which began Tuesday, Sept. 15, the anniversary of independence for five Latin American countries -- Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua -- and continues until Oct. 15. IU professors Peter Guardino, Darlene Sadlier and Carol O. Rogers share their thoughts on topical issues relevant to these issues.

Cuban American journalist Achy Obejas will speak at IU Bloomington Sept. 30 during National Hispanic Heritage Month. Her lecture, titled "Navigating Multiple Identities," will take place from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Helene G. Simon Hillel Center (730 E. Third St.) and will address the issue of the interwoven facets of identity -- race, culture, sexual orientation, gender and religion -- that make us who we are.

After years of pouring their efforts into three separate, sometimes-competing events, three of Bloomington's cultural organizations have joined forces to present "2009 Bloomington Multicultural Expo," featuring the Soul Food Festival, Festival Latino and the Moon Festival. This effort evolved into the creation of "festival villages" with a fourth village added to focus on the celebration of cultures around the world. The Soul Food Festival is hosted by the Bloomington Black Business and Professional Association. Festival Latino is organized by La Casa, the Latino Cultural Center at Indiana University, while the Moon Festival is overseen by IU's Asian Culture Center.

Indiana University Bloomington kicks off National Hispanic Heritage Month with a musical celebration featuring Alfredo Minetti who, along with Yuriria Rodríguez, Guido Sánchez, Leo Mesquita and Rodrigo Pedrosa, will be playing popular songs from Latin America, including "Bésame Mucho," "Guantanamera," "Lamento Borincano," "Caballo Viejo" and many others. The free, open-to-the-public even will take place today (Sept. 15) from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the Federal Room of the Indiana Memorial Union.

For three days this month (July 21-23), 50 Latino students from nearly two dozen Northwest Indiana high schools will live on the Indiana University Bloomington campus and attend workshops at the state's third annual Hispanic Youth Leadership Academy. Students from high schools in Lake and Porter counties were preselected by their guidance counselors for the summer leadership program, which is free for all students who meet the academy's requirements.

The Indiana University Bloomington Latino Studies Program recently announced the approval of its new doctorate degree minor and an $18,000 Dissertation-of-the-Year Award. This graduate degree will allow students to develop expertise on the historical and contemporary experiences of Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, Cubans, Dominicans, Central Americans and other Latin Americans who have immigrated to the United States or who have resided in the U.S. for multiple generations.

To celebrate its 10th year, organizers of the 2008 Festival Latino at Indiana University Bloomington will bring in a Grammy-nominated group to perform at the free outdoor event. Latino culture will be celebrated with food, live music, dancing, interactive activities and more during the one-day festival sponsored by the IU Latino Cultural Center, La Casa. Festival Latino is one of many events scheduled during National Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15 to Oct. 15).

Selections in this issue include books about a 1932 uprising in El Salvador, the "burdens of perfection" described in Victorian literature, a new generation of Jewish writers in America and the present and future of electric power technologies.

A group of 13 Indiana University Bloomington undergraduate students will be leaving May 17 for Spain, where they will study Spanish history, culture and language, and compare the country's immigration issues to those in the United States. John Nieto-Phillips, associate professor of history, will co-direct the program at the Centro de Estudios Superiores (CES) Felipe II in Aranjuez, Spain.

The first cohort of undergraduate students enrolled in the Latino Studies minor at Indiana University Bloomington are set to graduate on May 3. The program's 15-credit hour minor was launched in fall 2006, and it now has 22 students with a declared minor.

In the December issue of Learning Matters, find out why learning about economic and financial principles is just as important for students as learning about language arts, math and science. Hear from an IU expert about how the proposed new ISTEP will impact Indiana's students. Also, learn what makes first generation Latino students more likely to remain at their institute of higher education.

Featuring lectures and speakers on the Bloomington campus, including NPR's Michele Norris, recognizing the dangers of Facebook and "Confessions of a Cha Cha Feminist."

This issue of Lecture Notes features talks at IU Bloomington from Sept. 25 through Oct. 10. Lectures include a special evening with journalist Christopher Hitchens, and a lecture about Herman B. Wells.

Latino culture will be celebrated with food, dancing, interactive activities and more during the ninth annual Festival Latino at Indiana University Bloomington. IU's Latino Cultural Center, La Casa, is the main sponsor for the event. The outdoor festival will take place from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sept. 30 at Dunn Meadow, located at the corner of Seventh Street and Indiana Avenue in Bloomington. The festival, which is free and open to the public, is one of many events scheduled during National Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15 to Oct. 15).

Indiana University Bloomington professors share their comments about Hispanic issues in the United States in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, which begins Friday (Sept. 15) and continues until Oct. 15. The professors discuss how first-generation Latinos seek information, the premiere of the first Latin American-influenced television show, the growing interest in Latino Studies and why schools need to adjust their attitudes about Latina/o parents.

Lecture Notes includes lectures that will be held at Indiana University's Bloomington campus Sept. 13-24, 2006. The events are all open to the public.

The September 2006 issue of Learning Matters looks at research examining Latina/Latino parent involvement, sex education for students with developmental disabilities, the Teach with Tech podcast series and research that indicates the climate at rural schools may be beneficial to special education students.

Mexican voters will go to the polls this Sunday (July 2) to elect a new president from a pool of five candidates. In a country once dominated by a one-party government that determined electoral outcomes well in advance, no one knows who will win the presidency for the upcoming six-year term, 2006-2012. Armando Razo, assistant professor from the Department of Political Science and the Workshop in Political Theory and Policy Analysis, gives his expert analysis of the upcoming election's impact.