Roger Thayer Stone Center For Latin American Studies

Tulane University

Students Air Issues on Latino Community

February 11th, 2011

Alicia Duplessis Jasmin
aduples@tulane.edu

Photo: Casey Love, a professor of practice in political science, teaches courses on comparative politics, Mexican politics and immigration. Her students have developed radio-style programs about issues facing the Latino community in New Orleans. (Photo by Paula Burch-Celentano)

The stigma around HIV/AIDS is one obstacle preventing health education from reaching the immigrant population of Latinos in New Orleans, according to research by a pair of Tulane students. Searching for reasons behind a spike in HIV cases in that community, the students developed an informational radio program, which was broadcast on WTUL-FM and posted online as a podcast.

Casey Love, a professor of practice in political science, teaches courses on comparative politics, Mexican politics and immigration. Her students have developed radio-style programs about issues facing the Latino community in New Orleans. (Photo by Paula Burch-Celentano)

The project by Juliet Harris and Molly Mattesky was part of a service-learning course taught by Casey Love, a professor of practice in the political science department. Love's students produced a series of radio programs about issues facing the city's Latin American immigrants, including their relations with New Orleans police and the growth of businesses that cater to the Latino community.

The radio-type recordings have been added to the free audio library on the Stone Center for Latin American Studies website and can be downloaded as podcasts. Love is one of several faculty members who have worked with the Stone Center on the recordings, with funding provided by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

In their radio program, Harris and Mattesky interviewed health professionals and activists, finding that communication and culture hinder AIDS awareness because of language barriers, a lack of education programs and a perceived link between HIV and homosexuality.

"I allow the students to choose any topic that has relevance both to U.S.–Latin American relations and to the New Orleans community," says Love. "The result is pretty amazing because it's completely student directed and based on their own research and editing."

Grant funding made possible the assistance of Eve Abrams, a radio producer whose work often airs on National Public Radio in New Orleans, to train the students in interview techniques, scriptwriting and program editing.

Denise Woltering-Vargas, program manager for the Stone Center's Latin American Resource Center, initiated the website library of recordings. She says the goal of the podcast collection is to provide different perspectives on Latin America and Latinos throughout the city.

"We also believe it is a valuable resource for educators who want to utilize these recordings to teach their students about the culture," says Woltering-Vargas.

Listen to the students’ radio programs

Reported in the Tulane New Wave

LATEST SITE UPDATES

NEWS

EVENTS

BLOG POSTS

MEDIA

More

Upcoming Events

Festival Herencia Hispana

View Full Event Description

Come on out and celebrate the true Latino Heritage- HERENCIA LATINA- in Nueva Orleans! Great Latino festival at Easton Park. The New Orleans Recreation Development Commission (NORDC) is celebrating Latino Heritage in New Orleans. Come enjoy delicious food, fun, games, live local latin music and more! Free and open to the public.

This event is sponsored by NORDC and Puentes/LatiNOLA.

Featuring the music of:

  • Los Poboycitos
  • Merengue4-Four
  • Casa Samba
  • Julio y Cesar
  • Danzas Folkloricas Internacionales
  • Bailes Garifuna de Honduras
  • Pianistas
  • BlackoutBeatz Rodriguez
  • NOHA New Orleans Hispano America Dance Group

For more information, please visit the event’s Facebook page or call 504.821.7228

Congreso internacional de literatura y cultura centroamericanas (CILCA XXIII)

View Full Event Description

Tulane University, Loyola University New Orleans, y Purdue University Calumet tienen el gusto de invitar al CONGRESO DE LITERATURA y CULTURA CENTROAMERICANAS (CILCA XXIII) que se llevará a cabo en la ciudad de New Orleans, Louisiana, del 11 al 13 de marzo del 2015 en el campus de Tulane University y Loyola University New Orleans.

Desde el primer congreso realizado en Nicaragua 1993, CILCA se ha caracterizado por ser un espacio de intercambio intelectual y de amistad para académicas/os, escritoras/es y lectoras/es. El congreso se ha efectuado en todos los países centroamericanos y por primera vez en su historia, CILCA se realizará en los Estados Unidos. La ciudad escogida es Nueva Orleáns, puerta de entrada hacia el Caribe y los países de América Central. El intercambio cultural entre Nueva Orleáns y América Central ha sido intenso por muchísimos años, y la ciudad alberga una de las comunidades de origen hondureño más grandes de los Estados Unidos. Tulane University tiene estrechos lazos con la región a través del Stone Center for Latin American Studies, the Latin American Library, y the Middle American Research Institute. Loyola University New Orleans se ha distinguido por el trabajo con las comunidades hispanas que realizan varias de sus unidades académicas, incluyendo the Law School y el Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies.

La organización de CILCA XXIII la realizan la Dra. Maureen Shea y el Dr. Uriel Quesada, expertos en literatura y cultura centroamericanas, con el apoyo del Dr. Jorge Román Lagunas, creador y promotor de CILCA.

La convocatoria será publicada en agosto 2014.

Tulane University, Loyola University New Orleans, and Purdue University Calumet invite you to the Congress on Literature and Culture of Central America (CILCA XXIII) which will take place in New Orleans, Louisiana March 11-13 2015 on the campuses of Tulane and Loyola New Orleans.

From the first conference, held in Nicaragua in 1993, CILCA has been a space for intellectual exchange and friendship for academics and writers. The conference has been held in all of the Central American countries and for the first time in its history will be held in the United States. New Orleans, the gateway to the Caribbean and Central America, has been chosen as the location. New Orleans and Central America have a longstanding cultural exchange and New Orleans has one of the largest Honduran communities in the United States. Tulane has long connections with the region through the Stone Center for Latin American Studies, the Latin American Library, and the Middle American Research Institute. Loyola New Orleans works closely with hispanic communities particularly through the Law school and the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies.

CILCA XXIII is organized by Drs. Maureen Shea and Uriel Quesada, experts on the literature and culture of Central America, with the support of Dr. Jorge Román Lagunas, creator of CILCA.

Call for papers coming in August 2014.