The Center for Mexican American Studies invites you to the 2024 Distinguished Lecture: "Reclaiming Our Latino History and Heritage" with Julissa Natzely Arce Raya. 

Julissa Natzely Arce Raya is a national best-selling author, who brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to discussions of social justice. She is the author of My (Underground) American Dream (Entre Las Sombras del Sueño Americano) (2016),  Someone Like Me (Alguien Como Yo) (2018), and You Sound Like a White Girl: The Case for Rejecting Assimilation (2022).  She was named one of People en Español’s 25 Most Powerful Women of 2017 and 2019 Woman of the Year by the City of Los Angeles. She is a leading advocate for immigrant rights and education equality. 

Raya earned a degree in finance from the University of Texas at Austin. She first made national and international headlines when she revealed that she had achieved the American Dream of wealth and status at Goldman Sachs while undocumented. A US citizen since 2014, Julissa now uses her inspirational story to change the conversation around immigration. She has appeared on Oprah’s Book Club, CNN, FOX NEWS, MSNBC, NPR, Fox Business News, Telemundo, Bloomberg TV, and Univisión among other networks. Her writing has been published in TIME, The New York Times, Vogue, Buzzfeed Crooked, Media, Huffington Post, Fusion, CNN, CNN en Español, The Hill, and Univision.  She serves on the board of directors of the National Immigration Law Center. In addition, she co-established the Ascend Educational Fund (AEF) where she serves as chairwoman of the board. AEF is a college scholarship and mentorship program for immigrant students in New York City, regardless of their ethnicity, national origin, or immigration status. Since its founding in 2012, AEF has awarded over $500,000 in college scholarships.

Through her personal experiences and expertise, Arce Raya delves into the complexities of our Latino history, highlighting its richness, and the significance of reclaiming our narrative. This event promises to be a captivating exploration of identity, resilience, and empowerment within the Latino community.

Schedule:

• 5:45 p.m.- doors open with reception
• 6:20 p.m.- lecture
• 7:30 p.m.- Q & A

The 2024 CMAS Distinguished Lecture is co-sponsored by Vanderbilt University’s Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latinx Studies’ (CLACX) Consortium for Latinx Studies in the South.

Contact CMAS if you have questions or require special accommodation at 817-272-2933 or cmas@uta.edu. RSVP at https://linktr.ee/cmasatuta.