Joaquín Torres García, “América invertida” (Inverted Map) (1943)
A message from Director Juan De Lara
Dear colleagues and friends,
The recent fires in Altadena and Pacific Palisades are stark reminders that environmental catastrophes exacerbate existing inequities. Our colleagues at the UCLA Luskin School have documented the disparate effects of these fires on Black and Latino households across Los Angeles County. Their findings reinforce what many of us working in affected communities have witnessed firsthand: the compound nature of environmental vulnerability in communities already burdened by economic precarity and historical patterns of disinvestment.
As we grieve with those who have lost loved ones and homes to these fires, we must also confront the insidious threats stemming from a long history of environmental disaster. For example, the lingering effects of smoke-related toxins pose ongoing health risks for workers and residents that go unnoticed and unaddressed. These dangers are particularly acute in working class and poor neighborhoods, which already experience disproportionate exposure to ambient pollution from industrial facilities, transportation corridors, and other environmental hazards. Consequently, these communities find themselves trapped in a devastating cycle, where each new environmental crisis compounds existing health and economic disparities.
In response to these challenges, the Center for Latinx and Latin American Studies is building collaborative partnerships across USC and beyond to identify effective strategies that address the complex interplay between climate change, environmental vulnerability, racial inequities, and economic status. Central to our mission is the transformation of academic and public discourses on climate and sustainability. This initiative reflects our Center’s commitment to scholarship that serves our communities while advancing important intellectual debates.
As California grapples with increasingly frequent and severe climate disasters, our work becomes more urgent. We invite colleagues across disciplines to join us in this critical effort to build more resilient and equitable communities in the face of environmental change.
Juan De Lara, Ph.D.
Director
Center for Latinx and Latin American Studies
Associate Professor
American Studies and Ethnicity
University of Southern California
We invite you to join us:
Spreading the word about our upcoming gatherings as well as those of our circles. If you would like us to share resources, events, or opportunities that you are organizing, please let us know by reaching out via email to latinx@usc.edu. Click on the image or title for the event that interests you to learn more about how to participate.
Beyond the Chaos: Building Popular Movements in a Time of Uncertainty
Scholars and activists alike have struggled to make sense of and respond to the rapidly unfolding efforts to remake the U.S. state and economy in a more nationalist and anti-democratic mold. Social movements face a central dilemma in this time of uncertainty: they seek to block the worst attacks while building a popular response that is broad and powerful enough to chart a new way forward. On this panel, prominent organizers and researchers explore how social movements are navigating this complex political terrain of our present day and the role of research in documenting and supporting that work.
Explore Undergraduate Majors & the Graduate Certificate Program
Studying environmental justice, cultural arts, public history, imperialism, linguistics, migration, media, or race? Check out our affiliated undergraduate programs and our graduate certificate program for opportunities to cultivate your scholarship.
Contact & Visit
University of Southern California
3501 Trousdale Pkwy
Mark Taper Hall (THH) 309
Los Angeles, CA 90089
latinx@usc.edu
