On April 18th, 2024, we celebrated 60 years of CLACS at IU Bloomington! Originally founded as the Latin American Studies Program at Indiana University, the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies has supported outreach initiatives and educational programming focused on highlighting Latin American and Caribbean topics and communities in a global setting.
Left to right: Michael Ndemanu (Ball State University), John Ciorciari (Dean of the Hamilton Lugar School), Serafín Coronel-Molina (CLACS Director), and Emma Bonham (CLACS Program Manager)
Since 1963, the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies (CLACS) at the Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies, Indiana University Bloomington has fostered a vibrant multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary community of scholars over the past six decades. These scholars have worked on numerous initiatives, particularly in the Caribbean, Andean, and Amazonian regions. CLACS values diversity, equity, and inclusion, and its mission is to study and educate about one of the world’s most linguistically, culturally, and ethnically diverse regions – Latin America and the Caribbean.
While CLACS has called multiple locations and schools home over the years, it is currently part of the Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies (HLS). According to the HLS Dean, John Ciorciari, “Our school is a leading hub for the study of world languages and cultures, as well as international affairs. We empower students to engage with diverse perspectives and to learn world languages so they can become global citizens prepared to make a positive impact in the world.” In reference to the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, Dr. Ciorciari stated “CLACS has a rich history of providing interdisciplinary academic programs here in Bloomington and being a resource for our state and nation… All the major issues playing out in the Latin American and Caribbean world are important to understand in their regard, and to understand how they connect with what is happening in the rest of the world.”
Former CLACS office, located at 1125 E. Atwater Avenue in Bloomington, Indiana.
From directors, staff, and outreach volunteers to graduate assistants and allies in other departments and institutions, CLACS is profoundly grateful to all who have contributed to its success.
To learn more about the history of CLACS, visit the History page on our website!
Left to right: J. César Félix-Brasdefer (former CLACS Interim Director, Director of IU Mexico Gateway, and Associate Vice Provost for Academic Programs and Support), Farida Pawan (IU ASEAN Gateway Academic Director, IU School of Education), and Miguel E. Ayllon (Associate Vice President for International Affairs, IU Global)
For 60 years, CLACS has supported the Bloomington community and beyond by sponsoring a wide range of events, lectures, conferences, courses, workshops, and more which feature Latin American and Caribbean narratives and aim to support and educate all those interested in the field. In celebration of these efforts, we host an Annual Spring Reception to honor all of the staff, students, faculty, and friends who make CLACS what it is. This year’s Spring Reception was particularly special, as it marked 60 years since the founding of CLACS.
In light of this milestone, we were joined by John Ciorciari, Dean of the Hamilton Lugar School, Miguel E. Ayllon, Associate Vice President for International Affairs for IU Global, and Gerardo Gonzalez, Dean Emeritus of the School of Education and special adviser to the IU-Cuba initiatives. We also invited previous CLACS Directors to join us and share their reflections on their time with the center. Namely, we were joined by Shane Greene (2011-2015), Anke Birkenmaier (2015-2018), and César Félix-Brasdefer (2019-2020), and Serafín Coronel-Molina (2023-Present).
IU Global Associate Vice President for International Affairs Miguel E. Ayllon speaking at the CLACS 60th Anniversary Celebration.
The celebration was led by CLACS Director Serafín Coronel-Molina, Associate Director Sonia Manriquez, and Program Manager Emma Bonham. Dr. Coronel-Molina opened the event with a warm welcome, before Dean Ciorciari gave an address about CLACS and the role it plays in HLS. Following Dean Ciorciari’s address, IU Global Associate Vice President for International Affairs Miguel E. Ayllon shared his sentiments on CLACS before welcoming the panel of Directors, past and present, to the forefront. Led by Serafín Coronel-Molina, the group of Directors discussed their personal reflections on their time spent at CLACS and the accomplishments they bared witness to. It was a special moment to hear so many different perspectives on CLACS, and it quickly became apparent just how much growth the center has undergone in the last decade. With so many monumental achievements under our belt as a department, the future is certainly looking bright!
We were also thrilled to be joined by our incoming Haitian Creole instructor, Websder Corneille. Websder will begin giving Haitian Creole classes this summer, in the all new Haitian Creole Language and Culture Summer Program, followed by Indiana University courses in the fall.
When asked about his hopes for the future of the Haitian Creole program at CLACS, Websder responded, “I am absolutely delighted to join CLACS as an Adjunct Lecturer in Haitian Creole, Culture and Society at this very specific moment which marks the 60th anniversary of this landmark institution. At the creation of this platform for research and dialogue between experts, civil society leaders and scholars in 1963, many of the nations of LAC were ruled by tyrants. Today, the region is certainly committed to a greater ideal of social justice and inclusion, but foreign pressure, elite capture, corruption or violence have undermined the economic and social growth of the countries. CLACS has a vital role to play in helping people understand the delay in the progress of these nations. As for me, my CLACS journey started with the February 29th roundtable on Haiti’s Growing Crisis, and continues with the Haitian Creole Language and Culture Summer Program (June 17 to July 29). In the end, I hope it will be marked by an outsized contribution to the scholarship produced by distinguished CLACS’ researchers over six decades, and the enrichment of the learning experience for the students.”
Nayo A. Ulloa, Nelson Rodríguez Garza, and Ivan Maceda performing at the CLACS 60th Anniversary Celebration.
Following the reflections on CLACS over the years came live music! We had two amazing performances from Latin American musicians. The first performance was led by Nayo A. Ulloa, a Peruvian Latin American Music & Culture Specialist from Goshen College. Joining him in the performance were Javier León, Director of the IU Latin American Music Center, and Ivan Maceda and Nelson Rodríguez Garza, students in the IU Jacobs School of Music and Latin American Music Center. This performance focused on traditional Andean music, bringing some Quechua flair to the evening.
La Salsoteca Orquesta performing at the CLACS 60th Anniversary Celebration.
For the second performance, we were joined by La Salsoteca Orquesta, directed by Professor Sergio Ospina-Romero from the Jacobs School of Music. Comprised of IU Jacobs students from the Latin American Music Center and local community members, this 10-piece band brings lively salsa music to Bloomington and the greater Indianapolis region. To stay up to date and find out where La Salsoteca Orquesta will be playing next, follow them on Facebook.
We would like to extend a special thank you to our caterers for this event, Bonafide Bites and OneWorld Catering, as well as to the McCalla School for allowing us to host our event in their beautiful space!
Finally, thank you to our wide and ever-growing CLACS family for all of your support over the years. None of this would be possible (nor nearly as fun!) without each and every one of you. Cheers to the next 60 years!
PS: if you have any photos from the 60th Anniversary Celebration that you’d like to share, please send them to Emma Bonham at embonh@iu.edu.
More Photos from the Event:
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