2022 - The history of Latinos in Elgin and beyond topic of ECC’s Bill Pelz Global Speaker Series

Elgin Community College will host a Bill Pelz Global Speaker series titled “The History of Latinos in Elgin and Beyond” on Wednesday, February 23, from 2 – 3:30 p.m. This series is sponsored by the ECC Global/International Studies Taskforce (GIST). This event is free and open to the public. Join via Zoom at https://bit.ly/BillPelz2022 Passcode: 190568.

The featured panelist for the event will be ECC faculty member Antonio Ramirez, Ph.D., associate professor of history. Ramirez teaches courses in U.S. history, Latinx history, and the American government. Ramirez has worked as a journalist, educator, and community organizer across the Midwest and Mexico. He currently directs the Chicagolandia Oral History Project, which documents the history of the lives, work, and culture of Latinx suburban communities around Chicago with support from the Mellon Foundation, the Grand Victoria Foundation, and Illinois Humanities. His written work has appeared in the Harvard Journal of Hispanic Policy, The Nation, The Chronicle of Higher Education, and other publications.

The Bill Pelz Global Speaker Series was named in memory of the late William Pelz, Ph.D., who taught history and political science at ECC for more than 19 years. The event will be moderated by GIST co-chairs, Christina Marrocco, Ph.D., associate professor of English, and Lauren Nehlsen, Ph.D., associate dean, recruitment and outreach services, and Center for Global Engagement.