UNM’s Southwest Hispanic Research Institute reflects on its roots in ‘La Casita’ talk

The Southwest Hispanic Research Institute (SHRI) will host La Casita: A Conversation About How We Got Here, a brown bag lecture on Nov. 12, from 12-1:15 p.m.

Led by SHRI's first permanent director, José A. Rivera, and featuring Economics Professor Richard Santos and Sociology Professor Felipe B. Gonzales, co-principal investigator of ADVANCE at The University of New Mexico.

The event will explore the history of SHRI, Chicana and Chicano Studies, and the creation of cultural and academic space at UNM from 1982 to 1994. Light refreshments will be provided. The event will be held at the SHRI/CCS Casita, located at 1829 Sigma Chi Road, N.E.

Rivera, author of Acequia Culture: Water, Land, and Community in the Southwest (UNM Press, 1998) and La Sociedad: Guardians of Hispanic Culture along the Rio Grande (UNM Press, 2010), has written extensively on water, environmental planning and Hispanic culture. He is a professor emeritus in the School of Public Administration and the School of Architecture and Planning and previously served as SHRI director and as special assistant to the provost and vice president for research.

Gonzales, a professor of sociology and former director of SHRI, has held several administrative roles at UNM, including senior associate dean and chair of sociology. His books include Política: Nuevomexicanos and American Political Incorporation, 1821-1910 (2016) and Expressing New Mexico: Nuevomexicano Creativity, Ritual and Remembrance (2007). His current research focuses on Nuevomexicano identity and politics in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Santos, a professor of economics, has served in multiple leadership roles across UNM and is known for his research on Hispanic labor markets, education and health disparities. His publications appear in the Journal of Medical Economics, Journal of Pediatric Nursing and Sociology of Health and Illness. He is also the author of Hispanic Youth: Emerging Workers.

Founded in 1980, SHRI promotes multidisciplinary research on Latino and Hispanic communities in New Mexico and the United States. The institute supports access and equity for Latinx faculty, co-sponsors public lectures and research projects, and provides research and internship opportunities for faculty and students.

For more information about SHRI visit shri.unm.edu.