History Lecture Series: South Texas and the World

UTPA is hosting a lecture series on Saturday aimed at both Winter Texan visitors as well as Valley locals who want to learn more and expand their knowledge about the unique history and culture of South Texas.

Speakers include Dr. Russell Skowronek, Dr.Charles Waite, Ms. Juanita Garza from the Department of History at UTPA, and Mr. George Gause, UTPA Special Collection Librarian.

Presentations will include:

“Texas and California.” Texas and California stood as part of a buffer zone at the edge of the Spanish colonial world. Both shared a similar trajectory until their annexation by the United States. This lecture will compare and contrast these two provinces historically from the eighteenth to the twentieth centuries.

“Mexican American Civil Rights.” This presentation will examine the Mexican American civil rights movement in South Texas from the 1920s through the 1970s, addressing the harsh racial discrimination which defined the region and the emergence of organizations, such as LULAC, which fought for Mexican American rights under the Constitution.

“Culture of the Rio Grande Valley.” This presentation will focus on the vibrant and diverse cultural groups which have made the region their home over the last two centuries.

Historical Resources.” This presentation will introduce students to the extensive and fascinating resources on South Texas history available at the University of Texas-Pan American.

The lectures will take place on Saturday, Feb. 6, from 9 a.m. to noon, in the Bronc Room located on the UTPA main campus in Edinburg. There is a $30 registration fee which includes materials and a tour of the Museum of South

Texas History after the lecture. There will be late registration fees after Feb. 5. Register and pay online at http://portal.utpa.edu. Call 956-381-UTPA for more information.

This seminar is open to participants of all age groups with varied educational background, preferably 17 years and above.