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12/21/2015
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LOWELL – The UMass Lowell libraries will host a free, six-part series featuring local experts who will share insights into the history of Latinos in the United States and their contributions to American culture.

The programs, all open to the public, will be held from January through April at locations throughout the Merrimack Valley. Sessions will feature UMass Lowell’s Maria Matz, associate professor of Latin American Studies and Culture; Sara Marks, the university’s instruction and outreach librarian; and acclaimed poet Rhina Espaillat of Newburyport. 

Installments of the award-winning PBS documentary series “Latino Americans” will be shown during four programs presented by Matz. Afterward, she will lead discussions based on topics and events depicted in the series, which chronicles the history of Latinos in the United States from the 16th century to the present. 

The UMass Lowell programs, which are supported by a $3,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the American Library Association, will be presented in English. Episodes of “Latino Americans” will be shown in English with Spanish subtitles. 

“The UMass Lowell Libraries are pleased to have this opportunity to present these programs throughout the community to promote and educate people about Latinos’ important contributions to our nation,” Marks said. “There are more than 50 million Latinos living in the United States yet there is still much for other Americans to learn about their rich and varied history and culture.” 

The events will be held in Lowell and Lawrence at various locations. They are: 

  • Wednesday, Jan. 13, 7 p.m. – Espaillat, an award-winning writer, will discuss her translations of Robert Frost’s poems into Spanish. Originally from the Dominican Republic, Espaillat is a bilingual author and translator who writes poetry, short stories and essays in both English and Spanish. She has published 11 collections of poetry and founded the Powow River Poets writing group in Newburyport. Pollard Memorial Library, 401 Merrimack St., Lowell.
  • Tuesday, Jan. 26, 7 p.m. – “Foreigners in their Own Land,” the first installment of “Latino Americans” will be screened and discussed. The episode recounts how Spanish conquistadors and priests arrived in North America. O’Leary Library Learning Commons, UMass Lowell’s South Campus, 61 Wilder St., Lowell. 
  • Tuesday, Feb. 16, 7 p.m. – The story of immigrants from Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic who arrived in the United States in the mid-20th century will be shared in the documentary’s installment “The New Latinos.” Lawrence Public Library, 51 Lawrence St., Lawrence.
  • Tuesday, March 8, 7 p.m. – The labor movement led by César Chavez and gains made by Mexican Americans who forged a new identity as Chicanos in the 1960s and 1970s will be discussed after the episode “Prejudice and Pride.” Pollard Memorial Library, 401 Merrimack St., Lowell.
  • Tuesday, April 5, 7 p.m. – The documentary’s final installment, “Peril and Promise,” will highlight the arrival to the U.S. of immigrants from Central America and a new wave from Cuba, along with the rise of Latino American celebrities in popular culture. Lawrence Public Library, 51 Lawrence St., Lawrence.
  • Saturday, April 9, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Members of the public who would like to learn how to write Wikipedia entries on various topics covered by the series and other related subjects will receive training from Marks. The program will be held at UMass Lowell at a location to be determined.

Members of the public interested in learning more about these programs should e-mail Sara_Marks@uml.edu or visit (http://uml.beta.libguides.com/programming) http://uml.beta.libguides.com/programming.