Hope College has scheduled a series of
activities in recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month,
including the college's third annual Cesar E. Chavez Address
on Wednesday, Sept. 20.
Hope College has scheduled a series of
activities in recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month,
including the college's third annual Cesar E. Chavez Address
on Wednesday, Sept. 20.
The public is invited to the events at Hope.
Admission is free.
The college's celebration will open with a piano
recital featuring the work of Spanish and Latin American
composers and performed by Deborah De La Torre of the Hope
music faculty on Tuesday, Sept. 19, at 7 p.m. in Dimnent
Memorial Chapel. The composers include Ernesto Nazareth,
Ernesto Lecuona, Heitor Villa-Lobos, Teresa Carreno, Isaac
Albeniz, Federico Longas, Carlos Chavez and Alberto
Ginastera.
Dr. Luis D. Leon, a religious studies faculty
member at Arizona State University will present the Cesar E.
Chavez address, "The Doctrine of Sacrifice and Social
Justice in the Life and Work of Cesar Chavez," on Wednesday,
Sept. 20, at 4 p.m. in the DeWitt Center main theatre.
Dr. Miguel De La Torre of the Hope religion
faculty will present the sermon "Jesus Christ: A Racist?"
on Thursday, Sept. 21, at 4 p.m. in the DeWitt Center main
theatre.
The Latino Film Series will present two films. The film "Go Back to Mexico," a 1994 PBS Frontline documentary concerned with immigration issues, will be presented on Thursday, Oct. 5, at 7 p.m. in the Cook Auditorium of the DePree Art Center. The film "Americanos," an HBO documentary on Latinos in America, will be presented on Tuesday, Oct. 10, at 7 p.m. in the Phelps Hall Otte Room.
Deborah De La Torre is a part-time member of the
music faculty and staff accompanist at Hope, and also
teaches privately in the greater Holland area. Her passion
for music has centered on the work of Spanish and Latin
American composers, and her recital will include pieces by
Nazareth, Lecuona, Carreno, Granados, Longas, Chavez and
Ginastera.
She has recently retired from 20 years of service
in church ministry leadership, in which she specialized in
creating culturally relevant liturgy for communities
experiencing ethnic transition. She continues to stay
involved in the field, and taught at Maple Avenue
Ministries once per week as part of a summer arts program
she co-launched.
She has been winning scholarships and awards for
both her performances and compositions since age seven.
Active as a performer, she also continues to compose sacred
music as well as works for solo piano and other instruments.
Luis D. Leon joined the Arizona State University
faculty as an assistant professor in 1999. He was
previously an assistant professor, in religious studies and
American and Latin American studies, at Carleton College,
and has also been a visiting National Endowment for the
Humanities scholar in religious studies at the University of
California at Santa Barbara.
His forthcoming books include "Cesar Chavez and
the Religion of Revolution." He is also the author of a
number of book chapters and journal and encyclopedia
articles, and has presented several scholarly papers.
In addition to his work on Chavez, his research
interests have included the religious cultures of Latino
children and a variety of aspects of religious life in East
Los Angeles.
Miguel De La Torre joined the Hope faculty in 1999
and is an assistant professor of religion. His professional
activities include serving as a member of the editorial
board for the "Journal of Religious Ethics," and as founder
and organizer of "Etica Latina: A Hispanic Ethical
Perspective," an interest group for the Society of Christian
Ethics.
He was previously an instructor at Temple
University for four years, and prior to that had been an
adjunct instructor at Boyce Bible College. He has also been
a visiting professor at West Chester University, Immaculata
College and Rutgers University.
He is the author of the book "Ajiaco Christianity:
Toward an Exilic Cuban Ethic of Reconciliation," and two
forthcoming books including "Introduction to Hispanic
Theology: Latino/a Perspectives." He is also the author of
several book chapters and published articles, and has
presented several scholarly papers.
National Hispanic Heritage Month runs Friday,
Sept. 15, through Sunday, Oct. 15. Chavez, who died in 1993
at age 66, played a leading role in the 1960s in organizing
the nation's migrant farm workers, and was the first head of
the National Farm Workers Association, later the United Farm
Workers.