‘Words, Writers & SouthWest Stories,’ a historically-based speaker series of the Southwest Seattle Historical Society, is excited to announce that it is hosting Carlos Gil for a live Zoom presentation on Thursday, June 11 at 6:00 PM. Gil will deliver a presentation entitled, “From Mexican to Mexican-American: A Family Immigration Story.”
As immigration becomes more hotly debated in the United States, the arguments have become cartoonish, with one side often painted as naïve and another as xenophobic. What has become lost is the human story of immigration to America, with all its complexity, heartache, and hope.
Professor Carlos Gil sought to understand immigration by tracing his family’s history from the 1920s to the 1970s. In the process, he discovered the excitement, culture shock, inter-family conflict, and questions of identity that many immigrants face when seeking a better life in another country. Based on his book, “We Became Mexican-American: How Our Immigrant Family Survived to Pursue the American Dream,” this talk explores Mexican immigration by spotlighting his own family’s experience in southern California, including parallels with Washington State.
Carlos Gil is an emeritus professor of history at the University of Washington, where he has taught the history of Latin America for over thirty years. He has previously toured the state offering a public lecture entitled, “The Hispanization of the United States.” Gil lives in Kenmore.
Registration is required. Registered participants will be emailed a link to the presentation on the date of the event. Please register for this event by filling out the form below:
Professor Gil’s presentation is part of the Humanities Washington Speakers Bureau. The Southwest Seattle Historical Society is grateful for Humanities Washington’s support.
