Ruben Martinez, author of The Other Side: Notes from the New L.A., Mexico City, and Beyond, will give a free public lecture about migrants entitled "Strangers No More: How the Newest Americans will Redefine America" on Tuesday, November 12, at 7 p.m. in Holy Cross Hall, 170 High Street in Santa Cruz.
Martinez, an associate editor at Pacific News Service, has appeared as a commentator on CNN, Frontline, Nightline, and All Things Considered. He is the author of the new book Crossing Over, which looks at Mexican migration through the lens of the Chavez family of Cheran, Michoacan, Mexico. Three Chavez brothers were on their way to work in the strawberry fields of Watsonville in 1996 when the overloaded van they were in crashed fleeing a Border Patrol vehicle.
An inspiring speaker, Martinez will focus on migration to the United States on a global scale. His critique of globalization includes a call for a new language with which to describe the "international village" we live in. Martinez is working on a new book about how working-class solidarity is hindered by media, the state, and corporate capital. It includes chapters on the experiences of migrants from Nigeria, Palestine, India, Vietnam, and the Dominican Republic.
Martinez's appearance is being presented by the UCSC Center for Justice, Tolerance, and Community (CJTC). It is being cosponsored by the UCSC Center for Cultural Studies, the Chicano/Latino Research Center, College Ten, the Creative Writing Program, and the Latin American and Latino Studies Department.
For more information, please contact the CJTC at (831) 459-5743 or via e-mail sent to cjtc@ucsc.edu.
