{"id":13428,"date":"2026-03-25T16:21:26","date_gmt":"2026-03-25T16:21:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/?p=13428"},"modified":"2026-03-25T16:21:26","modified_gmt":"2026-03-25T16:21:26","slug":"bgsus-30th-annual-latino-a-x-issues-conference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/index.php\/2026\/03\/25\/bgsus-30th-annual-latino-a-x-issues-conference\/","title":{"rendered":"BGSU\u2019s 30th Annual Latino\/a\/x Issues Conference"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
Linda Ruiz-Bringman, TPS Assistant Superintendent of Student, Family, and Community Engagement, Dr. Linda Alvarado-Arce, editor of La Prensa, Inc., the keynote speaker- Saul Flores, and Dr. Luis H. Moreno, Associate Teaching Professor in the Department of Ethnic Studies and the School of Cultural and Critical Studies.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Keynote Speaker: Saul Flores
\n<\/em><\/strong>By Dr. Linda Alvarado-Arce<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

On March 18, 2026, Bowling Green State University (BGSU) held its milestone 30th annual Latino\/a\/x Issues Conference from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on the second floor of the Bowen-Thompson Student Union. This event served, according to conference planners, \u201cas a vital platform for visibility, exploring the cultures, politics and social interventions shaping the Latino\/a\/x community at BGSU and throughout the region.\u201d According to Rene Ayala, executive committee member, \u201cThe organizers of the first conference had envisioned that the conference would be a space to discuss issues that impact Latino\/a\/x communities,” and “I believe it is important to continue to keep their vision alive and follow the lead of those who organized the first conference 30 years ago.”<\/p>\n

This year’s\u00a0keynote speaker was\u00a0Saul Flores<\/em><\/a>,<\/em> a Mexican-Salvadoran award-winning speaker, photojournalist and storyteller. In 2010, Flores walked 5,328 miles from Ecuador to the United States to produce a photo documentary capturing the experiences and challenges migrants face along the way. When Flores spoke to the room filled with Toledo Public Schools\u2019 (TPS) Waite high school students, students from The University of Toledo (UT) and Bowling Green State University (BGSU), and adults, the emotions that came through his presentation to the audience was highly personal and interactive. He spoke about his family, growing up with his sister and mom that would take them to work with her when she cleaned houses, and his experience traveling by foot from Quito, Ecuador to the U.S. He added a young face, a face that looked like the audience, to talking about the abuses, hardships, and experiences he had in his travels, being in the Amazon with indigenous cultures that assisted him along his journey, and asked the audience to share their stories of life and life\u2019s experiences.<\/p>\n

In addition to the keynote speaker, BGSU undergraduate and graduate students presented research\/poster presentations and creative work as part of the eSTRELLA Student Research Conference, i.e., the presentation where a panel of students from the Latino Student Union (LSU) at the UT and BGSU spoke of their experiences in college, the college culture, navigating financial aid with parents who speak only Spanish and have never been to college, to where to eat and what to do on and off campus. This event was organized by the School of Cultural and Critical Studies, Department of Ethnic Studies, ICS Latin American and Latino\/a\/x Studies Cluster, and Latino Student Union.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Waite High School students and Escuela SMART alumni, made possible by a donation of the attendance tickets paid for by La Prensa, Inc., and the Hispanic Alliance of NWO to attend the BGSU Latino\/a\/x Conference with TPS Linda Ruiz-Bringman, Stephanie Serda, and Claudia “Gabby” Rodriguez, and the transportation was provided by TPS.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"\"<\/a>30\u00aa Conferencia Anual de Temas Latinos\/a\/x de BGSU
\n<\/strong>Oradora principal: Sa\u00fal Flores <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Por la Dra. Linda Alvarado-Arce<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

El 18 de marzo de 2026, la Universidad Estatal de Bowling Green (BGSU) celebr\u00f3 su hist\u00f3rica 30\u00aa Conferencia anual sobre Temas Latinos\/a\/x de 9 a.m. a 4:30 p.m. en la segunda piso de la Bowen-Thompson Student Union. Este evento sirvi\u00f3, seg\u00fan los organizadores de la conferencia, “como una plataforma vital para la visibilidad, explorando las culturas, la pol\u00edtica y las intervenciones sociales que est\u00e1n moldeando a la comunidad latina\/a\/x en BGSU y en toda la regi\u00f3n.” Seg\u00fan Rene Ayala, miembro del comit\u00e9 ejecutivo, “Los organizadores de la primera conferencia hab\u00edan imaginado que la conferencia ser\u00eda un espacio para debatir temas que afectan a las comunidades latinas\/a\/x,” y “Creo que es importante seguir viva su visi\u00f3n y seguir el ejemplo de quienes organizaron la primera conferencia hace 30 a\u00f1os.”<\/p>\n

El oradora principal de este a\u00f1o fue Saul Flores<\/em><\/a>, <\/em>un fotoperiodista y narrador mexicano-salvadore\u00f1o. En 2010, Flores camin\u00f3 5.328 millas desde Ecuador hasta Estados Unidos para producir un foto-documental que capturara las experiencias y desaf\u00edos que enfrentan los migrantes en el camino. Cuando Flores habl\u00f3 ante la sala llena de estudiantes de secundaria Waite de las Escuelas P\u00fablicas de Toledo (TPS), estudiantes de la Universidad de Toledo (UT) y de la Universidad Estatal de Bowling Green (BGSU), y adultos, las emociones que transmiti\u00f3 su presentaci\u00f3n al p\u00fablico fueron sumamente personales e interactivas. Habl\u00f3 de su familia, de su infancia con su hermana y su madre, que las llevaban a trabajar con ella cuando limpiaba casas, y de su experiencia viajando a pie desde Quito, Ecuador, hasta Estados Unidos. Es bien joven y tiene un rostro que parec\u00eda el p\u00fablico. Hablo sobre los abusos, dificultades y experiencias que tuvo en sus viajes, estando en el Amazonas con culturas ind\u00edgenas que le ayudaron en su viaje, y pidi\u00f3 al p\u00fablico que compartiera sus historias de vida y experiencias de vida.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Rudy Velasquez, Waite
2016; Angel Rodriguez, Waite 2026; Jacqueline Ponce, Waite 2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Adem\u00e1s del oradora principal, estudiantes de grado y posgrado de BGSU presentaron presentaciones de investigaci\u00f3n y trabajos creativos como parte de la Conferencia de Investigaci\u00f3n Estudiantil eSTRELLA, por ejemplo, una presentaci\u00f3n en la que un panel de estudiantes de la Uni\u00f3n de Estudiantes Latinos (LSU) de UT y BGSU hablando sobre sus experiencias en la universidad, la cultura universitaria, c\u00f3mo navegar la ayuda financiera con padres que solo hablan espa\u00f1ol y nunca han ido a la universidad,\u00a0 a d\u00f3nde comer y qu\u00e9 hacer dentro y fuera del colegio. Este evento fue organizado por la Escuela de Estudios Culturales y Cr\u00edticos, el Departamento de Estudios \u00c9tnicos, el Cl\u00faster de Estudios Latinoamericanos y Latinos\/a\/x de ICS, y la Uni\u00f3n de Estudiantes Latinos.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Keynote Speaker: Saul Flores By Dr. Linda Alvarado-Arce On March 18, 2026, Bowling Green State University (BGSU) held its milestone 30th annual Latino\/a\/x Issues Conference from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on the second floor of the Bowen-Thompson Student Union. This event served, according to conference planners, \u201cas a vital platform for visibility, exploring the<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":13429,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_rtcl_gb_attr":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"wf_post_folders":[304],"class_list":["post-13428","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles"],"aioseo_notices":[],"rttpg_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/BGSU-Latinx-Conference-2026-6.jpg",700,472,false],"landscape":["https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/BGSU-Latinx-Conference-2026-6.jpg",700,472,false],"portraits":["https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/BGSU-Latinx-Conference-2026-6.jpg",700,472,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/BGSU-Latinx-Conference-2026-6-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/BGSU-Latinx-Conference-2026-6-300x202.jpg",300,202,true],"large":["https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/BGSU-Latinx-Conference-2026-6.jpg",640,432,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/BGSU-Latinx-Conference-2026-6.jpg",700,472,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/BGSU-Latinx-Conference-2026-6.jpg",700,472,false],"rtcl-gallery":["https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/BGSU-Latinx-Conference-2026-6-700x462.jpg",700,462,true],"rtcl-thumbnail":["https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/BGSU-Latinx-Conference-2026-6-320x240.jpg",320,240,true],"rtcl-gallery-thumbnail":["https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/BGSU-Latinx-Conference-2026-6-150x105.jpg",150,105,true],"psacp-medium":["https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/BGSU-Latinx-Conference-2026-6-500x472.jpg",500,472,true],"rpwe-thumbnail":["https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/BGSU-Latinx-Conference-2026-6-45x45.jpg",45,45,true]},"rttpg_author":{"display_name":"LaPrensa Newspaper","author_link":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/index.php\/author\/laprensa\/"},"rttpg_comment":0,"rttpg_category":"Articles<\/a>","rttpg_excerpt":"Keynote Speaker: Saul Flores By Dr. Linda Alvarado-Arce On March 18, 2026, Bowling Green State University (BGSU) held its milestone 30th annual Latino\/a\/x Issues Conference from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on the second floor of the Bowen-Thompson Student Union. This event served, according to conference planners, \u201cas a vital platform for visibility, exploring the","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13428","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13428"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13428\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13433,"href":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13428\/revisions\/13433"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13429"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13428"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13428"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13428"},{"taxonomy":"wf_post_folders","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wf_post_folders?post=13428"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}