"Latino Studies," with Ricardo Ortiz
I’m starting something new on Latinos in Depth: a series of conversations with my favorite people—Latina and Latino scholars and other public thinkers—about latinidad and other pressing subjects for our communities.
I begin with this conversation with Ricardo Ortiz, Professor of US Latinx Literatures and Cultures in the English Department at Georgetown University, and Director of Georgetown’s Master’s Program in Engaged Public Humanities.
Here’s our conversation:
We begin with a discussion of his family’s move from Cuba in the 1960s, and growing up as a Cuban kid in a Cuban household in Chicano Los Angeles. We move on to discuss the latest ideas in the field of Latinx literature, and subjects that are very much part of our public discourse today, including decolonization and Latinos and race/Latino racial identity. We end with a brief discussion about “Engaged Public Humanities.”
Ortiz is the author of two books, Latinx Literature Now and Cultural Erotics in Cuban America. Check out this review of Latinx Literature Now, by Renee Hudson: “Latinidad in the Age of Trump,” in the Los Angeles Review of Books. And look at this gorgeous cover of his first book:
Ortiz’s teaching and writing focus on sexuality and Latinx literature broadly. In addition to his work at Georgetown, he has played important roles with several professional organizations, including the Latino Studies Association, American Studies Association, Modern Language Association, and Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute.
Lastly, I would be remiss if I did not mention that Ortiz was a professor of mine when I was an undergraduate at Dartmouth College. Thank you for helping me find my way!
Today we explored the wide world of latinidad with a scholar of literature as our guide. Look out for future conversations with historians, political scientists, sociologists, journalists, politicians, and, really, anyone else who has something important to say.