West Chicago Library planning programs with Latino American grant
English and Spanish speakers will have several opportunities to learn about the history of Latino Americans this fall thanks to a competitive grant that recently was awarded to the West Chicago Public Library.
The library received $3,000 and a six-part PBS series called "Latino Americans: 500 Years of History" as part of the grant, which was given to 203 recipients nationwide by the American Library Association and the National Endowment for the Humanities. The Aurora, Palatine and Westmont public libraries also received a grant, along with Harper College in Palatine.
Jennifer Winter, adult services librarian, said the library is partnering with the West Chicago City Museum, Mexican Cultural Center DuPage and Community High School District 94 to put on several events relating to Latino American history, starting with the Viva Mexico Independence Day Parade and Celebration Sept. 13.
"I think it's really exciting to be partnering with the museum and the cultural center," Winter said. "We're making a lot of connections and that's going to be useful in the future. Once the grant is over, we'll still have these connections."
The library will have a table on display at the parade with information about upcoming screenings of three episodes from the series.
Two of the screenings will include "scholar-led" discussions. North Central College Spanish Professor Alberto Fonseca will lead the first discussion at the library at 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 24. The sixth episode in the series will be aired that night in Spanish, with English subtitles.
"The series is so good," Winter said. "I watched all of them and I thought episode six would be a good one to discuss at the library just because there are some immigration issues in that one and I think that's something that's very much on people's minds these days. I thought it would generate an interesting discussion."
Another scholar will speak at West Chicago High School early next year, after students view an episode in the series that touches on Latino pride and prejudice and explains Latino student walkouts at Los Angeles-area high schools in the 1960s.
"I thought that would be something that the students could relate to," Winter said.
In addition, Sara Phalen of the West Chicago City Museum will lead a lecture at the library on the history of Latinos in West Chicago at 7 p.m. on Oct. 14. A third viewing of the series at the library will be combined with a bilingual book discussion on "How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents" at 4 p.m. on Oct. 29.
Planning is still under way for a panel exhibit about Mexican contributions to West Chicago that will be on display at the library through October too.
Winter said she is hopeful the programs will draw in people who otherwise might not attend a library event because they don't speak English.
"There's such a large Latino population here and that's such an important part of the community," Winter said. "We're hoping that it will kind of bring the community together more."