Dutchirican: A Latina/o History of Central Pennsylvania opens on Friday, Sept. 16, from 6:30–8:30 p.m., as part of the Council’s First Fridays program. According to the council, “This is the first exhibition to explain the history of Latinos as part of our state, how they came here, what struggles they had, and what they have contributed to the region. There are posters, photography, and replica of a chicken house where many Puerto Rican tomateros lived in the 1950s.” The exhibition is the result of several years of research by Dr. Hinshaw, Professor of History and Dr. Ivette Guzmán-Zavala, Professor of Spanish. Visit here to register.

Dr. Ivette Guzmán-Zavala, professor of Spanish, and Dr. John Hinshaw, professor of history, presented at the first regional Medical Humanities Conference last week, which was co-sponsored by the Humanities Department of the Penn State University Medical School, LVC, and other colleges. Dr. Guzmán-Zavala presented a poster, “Rethinking Childbirth: Oral Histories of Puerto Rican Mothers and Midwives,” and Dr. Hinshaw gave a talk that focused on how LVC’s newest major, medical humanities, was conceived and executed. Dr. Robert Carey, professor of biology and director of biochemistry & molecular biology, and Dr. Matthew Sayers, professor of religion and director of religion and philosophy, attended the inaugural conference, which was bristling with about 50 other professionals.

Dr. Ivette Guzman-Zavala, professor of Spanish, and Dr. John Hinshaw, professor of history, were interviewed by LebTown writer Liam Schmidt for “Tomateros to Dutchiricans: Local professors tell a Latinx history of Central Pennsylvania.” Schmidt noted that “For the last several years, the researchers of two professors at Lebanon Valley College has been instrumental in drawing attention to the remarkable social and cultural influence of the Latin American diaspora in Central Pennsylvania, which can be traced as far back as the American Revolution.”

Dr. Ivette Guzmán Zavala, professor of Spanish, presented “Par(t)ir en/a Nueva York: la búsqueda de un parto seguro en la autobiografía de Carmen Luisa Justiniano”/“Depart and give birth in Nueva York: the search of a safe birth experience in the autobiography of Carmen Luisa Justiniano” at the Latin American Studies Association Conference on May 26. 

Dr. Ivette Guzmán-Zavala, professor of Spanish, presented on “The Latinx Family Album and the Duthirican Exhibit” and Dr. John Hinshaw, professor of history, presented, “Dutchirican, A History of Latinxs in Central PA,” both at West Chester University’s Latina/o Conference October 26, 2020. 

Dr. Ivette Guzman-Zavala, professor of Spanish, and Dr. John Hinshaw, professor of history, are continuing their traveling Dutchirican research exhibition during their yearlong sabbaticals. Their work on the Puerto Rican Cuatro will premiere at Street Road Artist Space in Cochranville, Pa., Sept. 16.

Dr. Ivette Guzmán-Zavala, associate professor of Spanish, and Dr. John Hinshaw, professor of history, will present their research, Dutchirican: A Latinx History of Central Pennsylvania, on March 28 from 1:30–2 p.m. The session, which will include discussion and a question and answer session, will be followed by a reception from 2–3 p.m., and held at 725 Street road, Cochranville.

Dr. Ivette Guzman-Zavala, associate professor of Spanish, and Dr. John Hinshaw, professor of history, presented their research about Latinos in Central Pennsylvania in Havana, Cuba, in mid-October. The professors shared “Dutchirican: A History of Latinos in Central PA” as part of the “Latinos en los Estados Unidos” conference.

Dr. Ivette Guzman-Zavala, associate professor of Spanish, and the majors in her Capstone Senior Seminar recently volunteered in Lebanon. They were joined by Roberto Marti ’07, assistant director of admission and coordinator of transfer enrollment, and Shilesky Montalvo ’18, LVC student trustee, as they helped translate health insurance, housing, voting, and other important information for recent Latino/Puerto Rican arrivals. The event was organized by the United Way of Lebanon County and its chief executive officer, Kenny Montijo ’09.

For the fourth consecutive year, LVC students and faculty participated in a long-distance service learning trip, this year to Puerto Rico. A dozen students, accompanied by Dr. Ivette-Guzman Zavala, associate professor of Spanish, and Rev. Dr. Paul Fullmer, former director of service and volunteerism, volunteered at Villas del Pelegrino (a retirement community), Hogar la Piedad (a center for victims of domestic violence), and Esculea Luiz Munoz Marin (an elementary school) according to the Standard-Speaker.