Latino advocate to speak at Coxe Hall

Torres Cordero, a lawyer and advocate for the rights of Latinos in the Lehigh Valley, will discuss the Latino history of Bethlehem, immigration and casino gambling in a talk at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26, in the Global Union Lounge on the second floor of Coxe Hall.
The talk, which is free and open to the public, is being co-sponsored by the Global Citizenship Program and the Latin American Studies program as part of two ongoing series of events titled, respectively, Global Citizenship through Local Initiative, and “Latinos in the Lehigh Valley.”
The event is also part of a larger co-curricular program through the Global Citizenship House, in which the students invite speakers from the Lehigh Valley—particularly from Bethlehem’s South Side—to an informal discussion on the major issues facing the community in which they live for four years, says Hannah Stewart-Gambino, professor of political science and director of the Global Citizenship Program.
“While focusing much of their study on global issues, the students in this program recognize that citizenship starts at home, in one's own community,” Stewart-Gambino says. “Because of the significance of the Latino community in the Lehigh Valley and Bethlehem's South Side, the Global Citizenship students are pleased to co-sponsor this series with the Latin American Studies program.”
This student-driven event is part of an ongoing effort to promote further understanding between the campus and the surrounding community, says Antonio Prieto, associate professor of modern languages and literature and director of the Latin American Studies program.
“This event should be of interest to all Lehigh students and faculty who care to find out more about the issues affecting the Latino community in the area,” he says.
Cordero, the director of the Bethlehem-based Council of Spanish Speaking Organizations of the Lehigh Valley, also serves on the directory board of many community organizations. The council provides advocacy and community services such as employment information and referral, and computer classes for adults.
For more information, please call the Global Citizenship office at (610) 758-3014 or the Modern Literature and Languages office at (610) 758-3090.