In Times of Crisis: Puerto Rican Activism in Orlando Webinar
Speaker:
Julie Torres, Ph.D.
Scholar-in-Residence, UCF Puerto Rico Research Hub
University of Central Florida
Abstract: What does the concept of crisis obscure and how do Puerto Rican activists respond to “crises” in
their own lives and communities? In this webinar, Dr. Torres will answer these questions and
share the results of her ethnography of Puerto Rican activism in the Orlando metropolitan area.
Drawing on contemporary events or moments of crisis, such as the fiscal crisis in Puerto Rico,
the shooting at Pulse nightclub, the 2016 U.S. elections, and Hurricane Maria, her work not only
foregrounds the integral role of women in the community but also demonstrates the ways that
Puerto Rican activism transcends borders.
Biography: Dr. Julie Torres received a Ph.D. in Anthropology with a graduate minor in Latina/Latino Studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her research focuses on issues related to Latinx studies, diaspora, social activism, transnationalism, and gender. She is currently working on a book manuscript based on her dissertation research, which ethnographically examines Puerto Rican women’s activism in Orlando, Florida in light of contemporary crises. Her forthcoming publication, “‘Los Hijos Auscentes’: Citizenship, Activism, and Recovery in Post-Hurricane Maria Orlando,” will appear in the CENTRO Journal for the Center for Puerto Rican Studies.
She is currently a contributing co-editor of the Association of Latino and Latina Anthropologists (ALLA) section of Anthropology News and was previously a Scholar-in-Residence with the Puerto Rico Research Hub and an adjunct instructor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Central Florida. In the fall, she will be joining the faculty at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs as an Assistant Professor of Women’s and Ethnic Studies.
For more information on the webinar and to RSVP CLICK HERE
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