Spring Break
Hamilton branch prof. to discuss Ohio's 'hidden' Latino population
Francesca Cheli
Issue date: 11/6/07 Section: Campus
Megan Kuykendoll became Miami University's first Latino community coordinator earlier this semester-with a chance to make this new position her own.
"My main job is to establish and maintain relationships between the Latino community, the agencies that serve that community and the university," Kuykendoll said. "Some of the stereotypes about Miami do not make it seem like a safe and welcoming place for Latinos."
One aspect of her job, as listed in her job description, is working in conjunction with the Center for American and World Cultures (CAWC) and the Office of Community Service and Engagement to help create mutually beneficial relationships between Miami University and the Latino communities in
southwestern Ohio.
While Kuykendoll is the one actually pursuing relationships with Latino communities, these departments assist her in contacting agencies that are already part of Latino communities and connecting with Miami students.
"To my knowledge this is the first time we are taking a specific approach with a specific ethnic community other than the work that is done with the Miami tribe," said Monica Ways, director of community engagement and service at Miami.
According to Mary Jane Berman, the director of the CAWC, while the position of Latino community coordinator is unique, the precedent for the position came out of another outreach position, the Latin American community outreach coordinator.
Kuykendoll is also involved with bringing speakers, such as Dan La Botz-who will present "Latino Immigrants: Hidden in Ohio" at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday in MacMillan Hall-to campus.
"La Botz's lecture topic correlates directly with the work that I am doing," Kuykendoll said. "This is a community of immigrants whose story has been ignored or improperly portrayed and I feel that is something that both of our work seeks to correct."
La Botz is a visiting professor of history at Miami University Hamilton and the lecture is part of the CAWC lecture series on Diversity: Engaging Your Global Future Now and the UniDiversity program.
"My main job is to establish and maintain relationships between the Latino community, the agencies that serve that community and the university," Kuykendoll said. "Some of the stereotypes about Miami do not make it seem like a safe and welcoming place for Latinos."
One aspect of her job, as listed in her job description, is working in conjunction with the Center for American and World Cultures (CAWC) and the Office of Community Service and Engagement to help create mutually beneficial relationships between Miami University and the Latino communities in
southwestern Ohio.
While Kuykendoll is the one actually pursuing relationships with Latino communities, these departments assist her in contacting agencies that are already part of Latino communities and connecting with Miami students.
"To my knowledge this is the first time we are taking a specific approach with a specific ethnic community other than the work that is done with the Miami tribe," said Monica Ways, director of community engagement and service at Miami.
According to Mary Jane Berman, the director of the CAWC, while the position of Latino community coordinator is unique, the precedent for the position came out of another outreach position, the Latin American community outreach coordinator.
Kuykendoll is also involved with bringing speakers, such as Dan La Botz-who will present "Latino Immigrants: Hidden in Ohio" at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday in MacMillan Hall-to campus.
"La Botz's lecture topic correlates directly with the work that I am doing," Kuykendoll said. "This is a community of immigrants whose story has been ignored or improperly portrayed and I feel that is something that both of our work seeks to correct."
La Botz is a visiting professor of history at Miami University Hamilton and the lecture is part of the CAWC lecture series on Diversity: Engaging Your Global Future Now and the UniDiversity program.
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