NEH funds intersectional speaker to discuss 'Latinx' impacts on sports at Manhattanville University
The National Endowment for the Humanities funded a speaker at Manhattanville University to discuss 'Amplifying the Latinx Experience in Curricula, Conversation, and Community.'
On Oct. 21, Manhattanville University in Purchase, New York featured Adrian Burgos, Jr. of the University of Illinois to deliver remarks thanks to the support of an NEH grant.
The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) funded an intersectional speaker at a university in Westchester County, New York to discuss “Amplifying the Latinx Experience in Curricula, Conversation, and Community.”
On Oct. 21, Manhattanville University in Purchase, New York featured Adrian Burgos, Jr. of the University of Illinois to deliver remarks thanks to the support of an NEH grant.
”[Burgos’] stories about the contributions of Latino players to America’s favorite pastime are both enlightening and inspiring,” the university wrote in a Facebook post recapping the event. “From the challenges faced by Afro-Latino players to the cultural impact of baseball on Latino communities, Dr. Burgos’s talk was a powerful reminder of the rich, diverse history that shapes our society.”
In June, Manhattanville announced the NEH-funded event as part of the “Sport Studies in the 21st Century: Amplifying the Latinx Experience in Curricula, Conversation, and Community” project.
”Dr. Burgos’s residency is the first in this groundbreaking three-year project that aims to explore the multifaceted social, political, historical, and cultural aspects of sport within Latinx communities,” the university noted at the time. “This award is one of five given as part of the NEH’s 2023 Humanities Initiatives at Hispanic-Serving Institutions competition. The university earned a designation as a Hispanic Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education, which recognizes the campus’ significant Hispanic population.”
As chair of the Department of History at Illinois, Burgos focuses on areas like “the migration and immigration experience of Latinos within the United States as it illuminates processes of racialization, identity formation, urbanization, and labor.”
”In particular, I examine the manner Latinos have become part of U.S. society while simultaneously engaging in transnational practices wherein many strove to retain their cultural identities,” his university biography reads. Burgos’ “interests” include the “intersection of race, immigration, popular culture, and urban history.”
In its June press release on Burgos’ speaking appearance, Manhattanville also noted that the ”NEH-funded project seeks to address gaps in the field of Sport Studies, making stronger connections with the broader fields of Latinx and American Studies.”
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”By focusing on the impact of Latinx athletes and the role of sport in Latinx communities, the project aims to rectify the underrepresentation in this vital area of study,” the school added.
Established as an independent federal agency in 1965, NEH states that “Because democracy demands wisdom, NEH serves and strengthens our republic by promoting excellence in the humanities and conveying the lessons of history to all Americans.”