LEAD Summit XIII
Friday, September 27, 2024
Santos Manuel Student Union - South, CSUSB
“El Plan de San Bernardino: Transnationalism, Academic Mobility, and the Reframing of Education"
Tentative program schedule: times may be subject to change. Check back for updates.
Lea la versión en español - Programa de la Cumbre
LEAD Summit XIII Official Program
Program Detail
8:00 AM: Check-In / Live Music / Web Cast Live Interviews
- Continental Breakfast – Distribution of Packets – Optional Course Credit Registration
- Red Carpet Interviews - Jeannette Sandoval & Alejandro Ramos-Barajas
- Live Entertainment / Saludo Artistico - Grammy Award-Winning Mariachi Divas de Cindy Shea
Jeannette Sandoval
Alejandro Ramos-Barajas
Grammy Award-Winning Mariachi Divas de Cindy Shea
8:45 AM: Opening Ceremony
- Land Acknowledgement
- Color Guard Presentation - Air Force Junior ROTC, West Covina HS
- Pledge of Allegiance - Capt. Jesus Acuña-Perez (Ret)
- U.S. National Anthem & Himno Nacional Mexicano - Aryanna Ruiz, Coyote Achieve Academic Coach, CSUSB Office of Academic Success and Undergraduate Advising
- Honores a la Bandera Mexicana
- Invocation - Most Reverend Alberto Rojas, Bishop, Diocese of San Bernardino
Air Force Junior ROTC, West Covina HS
Capt. Jesus Acuña-Perez (Ret)
Aryanna Ruiz
Honores a la Bandera Mexicana
Himno Nacional Mexicano
Most Reverend Alberto Rojas, Bishop, Diocese of San Bernardino
9:00 AM: Procession – “Amexica: Soy de Aquí Y de Allá - I’m from Here AND There”
Even with overlapping traditions and interconnected histories, multiple identifiers or labels is not uncommon for Latinos – like Hispanic, Latinx /Latine, Chicano, Boricua, Mexican, Hispano, Immigrant, Salvadoran, Guatemalteco, Mexican-Origin, Indigenous . . . peoples, noting that the use of these terms of which a person identifies with varies across generations, location, immigrant status, nationality, country of birth, uses of Spanish and Indigenous languages; and reflects our diverse experiences.
Contemporary groups and individuals describe themselves using terms and labels of their choice. For LEAD’s umbrella of projects, we have mostly opted for Latino/a (and when historically appropriate for cultural specificity Chicano/a and/or Mexicano/a, and/or Indigenous, and even folk terms like Brown). For our projects, Latino has provided flexibility in referring to diverse U.S. communities with Latin American and Caribbean roots. It covers a variety of ethnic and cultural identities, informed by African, Asian, European, and Indigenous ancestry. A national Latino identity also offers some possibility of greater political power.
For this year’s Theme we build upon the United States’ and México’s celebration of 200 years of diplomatic relations, although the much broader scope of relations between the two countries extends way beyond official and diplomatic relations. Our relations encompass extensive cultural, commercial - trade, and educational exchange, in addition to hundreds of thousands of people who cross the border daily.
By intersecting histories, shared geography, and cultural / familial ties, the two countries are each other's closest and most valued neighbors and partners. Whether the issue is climate change, or public health, human trafficking, entrepreneurship, trade and economic development, education exchange, citizen security, drug control, migration, technical innovation, or environmental protections.
LEAD Summit XIII addresses Education as the principal issue by which we choose to frame our bilateral relationship; and for our purposes, we share two ways to view and consider Education; and the process and content of Education. First, Education should be viewed as a right, not a privilege; and second, Education should be viewed as an investment.
In short, the U.S. and Mexico should collaborate, officially, to better plan its shared mutual future by undertaking far-reaching binational and transnational interventions that expand and promote academic mobility, the education marketplace, and equitable advancement and opportunity for all.
Creating a positive future will require a reframing of Education, Citizenship and Belonging, to where post-traditional and transnational students and global citizens must be:
- equipped to compete in a global economy;
- part of a literate and well-educated labor and consumer base;
- a pool of linguistic and cultural talent that would serve to strengthen ties;
- significant component of a highly productive work and business force that contributes to the tax base and therefore the economic well-being; and
- poised to participate and shape the political landscape on both sides of the border through voting and civic engagement.
A new supermajority citizen of "Amexica" has emerged as a result of the U.S./Mexico mega-region and the interdependency across borders. One of the new supermajority citizen’s means of survivance is the transnationals’ capacity to adapt and acquire both a group repertoire and different self-identities to function effectively in different cultural environments and through different languages. Currently, no other factors have more profoundly influenced Education than the ongoing demographic change, migrations, daily cultural transfusion, economic interdependence, and transnational phenomena. Survival strategies, cultural contexts, the formation of multiple personal and ethnic identities, the power of language and culture, migrant workers, immigrant students and transnational activities abound in the new diasporic realities and communities.
Time to flip the complicated and nuanced narrative - Ni de aqui, ni de allá (Not from here nor there), which is a phrase frequently used by bilingual and bicultural people to describe the complexity of their intersecting identities of American and Immigrant. Often, the phrase conveys and describes the often-shared experiences of not feeling like we belong anywhere, the sensation of feeling like you’re neither accepted by the country of your birth nor the country from which your family is from.
Under the new diasporic transnational reality, the border is not the end of one country nor the beginning of another; it is the fluidity of multicultural settings in which the new supermajority citizens learn to live together and work together with policies and practices that suit the megaregion. In this reality of Latino transnationalism, the concept of the nation-state is increasingly less relevant as an organizing principle of social interaction. One's unified social world is made up of multiple attachments that can stretch and transgress across borders. The new Amexica unmasks the old stigmas and broadens our sense of belonging beyond nationhood. In its place, the new citizen of the supermajority claims “Soy de Aquí Y de Allá - I’m from Here AND There”.
- Intercessors: Makuil Ollin Ocelotl, Aztec Dance Calpulli
- Grand Marshal: Prof. Armando Vazquez-Ramos (†), Founder, California-Mexico Studies Center, Inc.
- Tribute: Las Cafeteras
Makuil Ollin Ocelotl
Prof. Armando Vazquez-Ramos (†)
Las Cafeteras
9:15 AM: Welcome Remarks / Bienvenida
- Dr. Mildred Garcia (*invited)
Chancellor, California State University System - Dr. Tomás D. Morales
President, California State University, San Bernardino - Dr. Chinaka S. DomNwachukwu
Dean, James R. Watson and Judy Rodriguez Watson College of Education, California State University, San Bernardino
Dr. Mildred Garcia
Dr. Tomás D. Morales
9:45 AM: Morning Featured Speaker - Pepe Serna, Actor, Motivator, Artist, Speaker, Writer, Producer, Director; and 2024 LEAD Summit Honorary Chair / Padrino de Honor
Lea la versión en español - Padrinos Honorarios
Pepe Serna is your favorite actor, and you didn’t even know it. Did you grow up in the 1970s, ’80s, or ’90s? Are you a millennial or a Gen X? Doesn’t matter. When you went to the movies or turned on the TV, he was right there in front of you. No, not the star. The guy to his or her left. The one who makes the scene work and the star shine.
As one of the longest working character actors in Hollywood, Pepe Serna has inspired and paved the way for generations of Latino actors by defying stereotypes and fighting for representation in an industry that continues to largely ignore the Latino community.
Pepe Serna is a versatile American actor, artist, and motivational speaker, born on July 23, 1944, in Corpus Christi, Texas. With a career spanning over five decades, Serna has appeared in more than 100 films and 300 television shows. He is perhaps best known for his role as Angel Fernandez in the iconic film "Scarface" (1983), where his character met a gruesome end in a memorable scene.
Serna's early career included roles in films like "The Student Nurses" (1970) and "The New Centurions" (1972). He has also played significant roles in movies such as "Silverado" (1985), "The Rookie" (1990), and "American Me" (1992). His television credits are extensive, featuring appearances in shows like "The Rockford Files," "Knight Rider," and "American Playhouse."
More than an actor, Serna is also known for his work as an artist and a motivational speaker. He has conducted workshops and given keynote speeches, emphasizing the power of self-expression and cultural heritage. His documentary, "Pepe Serna: Life is Art," highlights his contributions to Hollywood and the representation of Latino actors in the industry. This documentary is available on streaming platforms like Amazon and Apple TV.
In addition to his film and television work, Serna has been active in theater and voice acting, showcasing his wide-ranging talents and enduring presence in the entertainment industry.
Now, in his 80s, Serna is determined to help solve Hollywood’s representation problem by empowering students in under-resourced communities to become the next generation of storytellers. “We’re so much more than anybody gives us credit for,” he said. “We’re good at anything and everything. And that’s why it’s important that I reach as many students as I can in my workshops.”
For more detailed information, you can visit his official website.
- Prime Video: Pepe Serna Life is Art
- Apple TV: Pepe Serna Life is Art
- Book: Pepe Serna Life is Art
PS: Pepe encourages everyone to also go to YouTube and watch, Raices De Sangre, he says is “The Greatest Chicano and Mexican Movie ever made, shot in 1977.”
- Introduction / Moderator: Frank Montes, Chairman, Hispanic Coalition of Small Businesses (HCSB), Co-Owner of Inland Body & Paint Center
- Featured Speaker / Honorary Chair / Padrino de Honor: Pepe Serna
Frank Montes
Pepe Serna
10:20 AM: Break / Un Cafecito & Vendor / Exhibits Fair
- Red Carpet Interviews - Jeannette Sandoval & Alejandro Ramos-Barajas
- Coffee Provided
10:35 AM: Panel - “The different dimensions of the Mexican and Latino diaspora: transnational challenges and opportunities”
Hispanics have played a major role in U.S. population growth over the past decade. The U.S. population grew by 24.5 million from 2010 to 2022, and Hispanics accounted for 53% of this increase – a greater share than any other racial or ethnic group.
The U.S. Hispanic population in fact reached 63.6 million in 2022, up from 50.5 million in 2010. The 26% increase in the Hispanic population was faster than the nation’s 8% growth rate. In 2022, Hispanics made up nearly one-in-five people in the U.S. (19%), up from 16% in 2010 and just 5% in 1970.
Population growth among Hispanics/Latinos has been a major source of increasing ethnic and racial diversity, not just in California but in the United States overall. However, diversity within the Hispanic population is frequently obscured by the tendency to lump all Latinos together. Mexicans by far constitute a majority or plurality of Latinos, and diversity levels and structures have remained relatively stable over time.
Moreover, earlier this year, the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) published the results of its review of Statistical Policy Directive No. 15 (SPD 15) and issued updated standards for maintaining, collecting and presenting race/ethnicity data across federal agencies. Among the biggest updates are the directives to use a combined race/ethnicity question. Within this approach, respondents may report one category or multiple categories to indicate their racial/ethnic identity. In the updated standards, a single response, such as Hispanic or Latino, is considered a complete response.
In this panel Hispanic, and especially Mexican-Origin, population growth, migrations, and trends, as well as updates to OMB's Race/Ethnicity Standards will be discussed. U.S./Mexico transnational challenges and opportunities are at the forefront as the impact not only affect demography but also extend beyond to other aspects of the mega-region to the much broader scope of relations between the two countries’ official and diplomatic relations; being that our relations encompass extensive cultural, commercial - trade, and educational exchange, in addition to hundreds of thousands of people who cross the border daily.
The current ongoing decline and defunding of Education is unfortunately taking place at the time that Latinos, especially Chicana/o, Mexican, Mexican-origin transnationals and post-traditional students across both sides of the border are a super-majority.
As we continue to face the current waves of post-traditional students entering higher education, it would be a mistake to waiver from the commitment to universal access to higher education. For today’s global economy, both the U.S. and Mexico need additional college graduates and a more ambitious plan to help us meet the imperatives of the current era. To remain globally competitive and meet workforce demands, we must make certain that college preparation and opportunities are provided in a more equitable way.
- Chair/Moderator: Pablo Gutierrez, M.B.A., Doctoral Candidate (cohort 17) International Admissions Evaluator & DSO, College of Extended and Global Education, CSUSB
- Panelist: Roberto R. Ramirez, Assistant Division Chief, Special Population Statistics’ Population Division, U.S. Census Bureau
- Panelist: Ana Valdez, President and CEO, Latino Donor Collaborative, Inc.
- Panelist: Sylvia Flores, CEO & Co-Founder at Manos Accelerator and award-winning entrepreneur and engineer
Pablo Gutierrez
Roberto R. Ramirez
Ana Valdez
Sylvia Flores
11:15 AM: Panel – Student and Alumni Panel – “Defending the DREAM: Undocumented Students and Immigrants Face Barriers in Accessing and Obtaining an Education”
More must be done to ensure undocumented student success. Undocumented students and immigrants face significant barriers in accessing and obtaining an education, particularly a postsecondary degree. The anti-immigration and anti-Latino agenda of the former administration and its impact on education made this issue of paramount concern. We must pay special attention to the differentiated rights of different groups.
A few years back we marked the twentieth anniversary of the first state laws that began opening up higher education to undocumented youth. In 2001, California passed legislation that would allow undocumented youth who attended high school in the state to pay in-state college tuition rates. Since then, state-level and institutional-level policies have been critical to advancing undocumented students’ educational access and promoting their inclusion. California has also established laws that provide financial aid and expanded eligibility for in-state tuition rates.
This mission and ideals are as relevant today as at any time in our history, and we want ALL students in the U.S.-México megaregion to be fully incorporated into our systems of learning, democratic values, and the economy. This panel will illuminate and elaborate on the educational conditions of California’s undocumented student population, as these learners exemplify, respond to, expand, and disrupt the definitions and debates around the bounds of citizenship, citizenry, rights, deportation, and belonging that are based on socio-economic conditions, systemic prejudices, and other hegemonic frameworks.
These students therefore on many fronts challenge the contradicting U.S. ideal that claims we are to be a nation of immigrants where all who work hard can succeed. On all counts, the aforementioned mission and ideals fall short when we often see our very own students, many or most high-achieving immigrant students, denied a path to citizenship, limited in how they can access and benefit from higher education, and denied rewards for their merits.
In 2014, the California-Mexico Studies Center under the direction of Professor Armando Vázquez-Ramos created the Study Abroad Program with the objective of giving Dreamers the opportunity to travel to Mexico with a special permit (Advance Parole) to carry out academic and cultural activities and have the opportunity to reconnect. with their roots and family. Additionally, young people can legally re-enter the United States, which allows them at a certain time to regularize their immigration status. Currently, there are more than 700 participants who have benefited from this Program and as part of the objectives, seeks to establish bridges and academic and cultural exchange between the two countries, which is why it has worked with institutions of higher education to offer opportunities to the Mexican diaspora in the United States to study at Mexican universities.
The Metropolitan Autonomous University (UAM) has received the participants of the program in the Open House for Dreamers forum, during the visit the Dreamers have told their stories, they have learned about the academic offer that the UAM has for them, their history and they have exchanged ideas with teachers and students from the Azcapotzalco Unit. Currently, the University is in the process of expanding its internationalization of studies, so the collaboration with the California-Mexico Studies Center is an important step to provide attention to the Mexican diaspora in California and at the same time, UAM students can study abroad.
- Chair/Moderator: Dra. Esther Alonso, Mexico Academic Coordinator, California-Mexico Studies Center, Inc.
- Panelist: Damaris Garcia Valerio, Doctoral Student, Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology (CCSP) program, University of California, Santa Barbara
- Panelist: Hon. Karina Ruiz De Diaz, Executive Director, Arizona Dream Act Coalition
- Panelist: Erick Ponce-Furlos, California State Assembly Legislative Assistant
Dra. Esther Alonso
Damaris Garcia Valerio
Hon. Karina Ruiz De Diaz
Erik Ponce-Furlos
12:00 PM: Buffet Lunch & Networking - Vendor / Exhibits Fair
- Red Carpet Interviews - Jeannette Sandoval & Alejandro Ramos-Barajas
- Live Entertainment / Saludo Artistico - Grammy Award-Winning Mariachi Divas de Cindy Shea
- Lunch Provided (Events Center - Rear)
12:40 PM: Panel – “Higher Education Networks and Hispanic-Serving Institutions: Heeding the Calls for Internationalization and Bilateral Collaboration”
Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) educate a diverse and talented student population, and thus are a seedbed for Global Engagement. HSIs are defined in U.S. federal law as accredited and degree-granting public or private nonprofit institutions of higher education with 25 percent or more total undergraduate Hispanic full-time equivalent student enrollment. A focus on how U.S. institutions can develop and catalyze relationships with institutions and faculty from Mexico and how facilitating low-cost study abroad experiences for both Mexican students to the U.S. and vice versa, potentiates the opportunity for the two countries to share in the development of their respective future leaders. As institutions learn to better understand the potential of student needs and assets and how they impact academic performance and aspirations, integration of this knowledge can lead to higher graduation rates, increased social and cultural capital, and economic prosperity for students on both sides of the border.
Higher Education networks have already allowed institutions to access a broader pool of expertise and resources, increase visibility and impact on a global scale, improve student experiences and outcomes - help them to develop the skills and experiences that are needed to succeed in a globalized world, and a platform for research and innovation - fostering collaboration among researchers and institutions. Advancing international higher education will advance the global learning of post-secondary education organizations through the exchange of information and dialogue, advocacy for international education, professional development, and discovery of new approaches to international education.
This panel will discuss the calls for internationalization, and the unified effort to provide increased access to higher education. Bilateral collaboration will help us face – and overcome – the challenging headwinds that include declining college enrollment, budget cuts, shifting demographics, growing polarization, and deep skepticism about the value of a degree. Among the many relevant outcomes of such a binational collaboration will enhance the understanding of global issues and world cultures among students, faculty, and staff; enhance curricula by increasing the inclusion of topics and course materials related to global matters; support more faculty in globally focused research; and increase and develop study abroad opportunities. Such will encourage more students-faculty-staff to participate; create a global research learning community; and enhance student participation in globally focused research through scholarships and paid assistantships.
- Chair/Moderator: Dra. Stacey Ortiz, Ed.D. Program Specialist - Doctoral Studies, and Campus Advisor of Kappa Delta Sorority - Zeta Zeta Chapter, CSUSB
- Panelist: Yara Amparo López López, Coordinadora Estatal - Baja California, Programa Binacional de Educación Migrante (PROBEM)
- Panelist: Hon. Eduardo Garcia, CA Assemblymember, District 36, Chair of the Select Committee on California-Mexico Bi-National Affairs
Dra. Stacey Ortiz
Yara Amparo López López
Hon. Eduardo Garcia
1:20 PM: Afternoon Featured Speaker - Marcos Aguilar, Tlayekana/Head of School, Anawakalmekak (Anahuacalmecac International University Preparatory of North America) an IB World School, and Executive Director, Semillas Sociedad Civil
(Masewalli Mexicano) is co-founder and Executive Director of Semillas Sociedad Civil - Anahuacalmecac International University Preparatory of North America and Director of the American Indian Resurgence Initiative. Through indigenous pedagogy, Anawakalmekak offers students a comprehensive education that combines academic excellence, Native wisdom, and Indigenous heritage and history.
Marcos served as a bilingual single-subject secondary teacher for the Los Angeles Unified School District from 1994-2001. Marcos received a Bachelor’s degree in Chicana & Chicano Studies from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1994 where he helped lead the design and founding of that department. He also holds a single-subject teaching credential in Social Science and a Masters in Education Administration from California State University, Los Angeles.
Marcos has worked for the UCLA Center X Principal Leadership Institute and consulted for the San Francisco Unified School District on Indigenous education and policy. Marcos helped lead the establishment of Indigenous Peoples Day in the City of Los Angeles in 2017 serving in key roles as a community interlocutor. In 2019, Marcos was community-nominated as a commissioner to the National Forum of Mexico on Constitutional Reform for the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and Afromexicans.
Marcos has been married to Minnie Ferguson for over 30 years with whom he has raised three children and co-founded Semillas/Anahuacalmecac. Marcos met Minnie at UCLA as an undergrad and followed in her footsteps as a student organizer. Marcos was born in Mexicali, Baja California Norte in Kumyaay/Cucapa territory and has been a danzante Azteca-Chichimeca for over thirty years. Besides co-leading Anahuacalmecac, Marcos is currently engaged in co-leading various local and international campaigns involving advancing the rights of Indigenous Peoples, access to quality education for Indigenous youth and decolonizing public spaces across the city and county of Los Angeles.
- Moderator: Gabriel A. Orosco, CEO & Co-Founder, Ehecatl Wind Philosophy, and Doctoral Candidate-Cohort 15, Educational Leadership Program, CSUSB
- Featured Speaker: Marcos Aguilar, Tlayekana/Head of School, Anawakalmekak (Anahuacalmecac International University Preparatory of North America) an IB World School, and Executive Director, Semillas Sociedad Civil
Gabriel Orosco
Marcos Aguilar
1:50 PM Featured Panel – “Latinos are a bridge to a post-Pandemic future, as well as a post-Pandemic economy”
In the U.S., Latinos play a crucial role in the U.S. economy and currently account for a $1 trillion market, despite being challenged by lower-paying jobs, less education, and the bias they face. Overall, U.S. Latinos account for the fastest-growing portion of US GDP. If we considered Latinos as their own country, it would be third only to the GDP growth rate of China and India in the past decade. Latinos make just 73 cents for every dollar earned by White Americans. They face discrimination when it comes to securing financing to start and scale businesses. Latinos struggle with access to food, housing, and other essentials. And their level of household wealth - which directly affects their ability to accumulate and pass on wealth from generation to generation - is just one-fifth that of White Americans. Furthermore, both COVID-19 and high inflation have had a disproportionate impact on Latino lives and livelihoods.
This is but the latest indicator of inequity in how Latinos are disproportionately pumping more value into the U.S. economy yet are continually short-changed when it comes to adequate funding and support for education. One puzzle piece of the Latino education crisis makes it more urgent than ever to understand the barriers and role Latinos play in the U.S. and to undertake far-reaching interventions that promote equitable advancement and opportunity. That is, structural and practical economic interventions (such as better compensation and reskilling for workers, increasing access to capital, and financial inclusion) would not only support Latinos to consolidate their economic significance in the United States — closing the gaps, but hold massive gains for society as a whole.
The pandemic laid bare many inequities, as it also showed the benefits of education. Highly educated workers were much more likely to work from home and less likely to have lost their jobs. Latinos have the lowest educational-attainment levels of any race or ethnicity in the U.S.; they were also the least likely to telecommute, and many risked their health and that of their families by continuing to work on-site. Investing early and consistently toward college degree completion improves Latino labor market prospects and social integration. If Latinos were fully and equitably included in the U.S. economy, gains for the broader society could be tremendous. If we follow through with new lines of educational exchange, a more equitable treatment for Latinos will strengthen and improve U.S. society for all. Latinos are a bridge to a post-Pandemic future, as well as a post-Pandemic economy. As the growth population, what happens to Latinos in education and in the workforce development has profound and significant implications for everyone, whether or not they are in that population.
Leaders in education, workforce development, and economic development must also work collaboratively with leaders of education systems and employers — along with legislative partners and stakeholders representing diverse students, parents, education professionals, labor, business, and community groups — to further develop pathways in both Teacher and Career Education. Accessing and broadening employment opportunities and economic mobility strengthen career pathways, prioritize hands-on learning and real-life skills, and advance universal access and affordability through streamlined collaboration and partnership across government and the private sector. It can benefit workers who want to get into good paying jobs and presents the opportunity for economic mobility by reimagining the way we think about how learning and education connect to jobs. As the intersecting economies of the U.S.- Mexico megaregion evolve and unmet need grows for various types of skilled labor in the trades, green energy, teaching, and healthcare sectors, a new paradigm of teacher and career education will prepare learners for the workforce of tomorrow.
- Chair/Moderator: Ana Valdez, President and CEO, Latino Donors Collective (LDC)
- Panelist: Eloy Ortiz Oakley, CEO of the College Futures Foundation
- Panelist: Dr. Alfonso González Toribio, Director, Latino and Latin American Studies Research at UC-Riverside
-
Panelist: Dr. Abelardo Mariña Flores, Coordinador de Enlaces Estratégicos, Metropolitan Autonomous University, Mexico City
Ana Valdez
Eloy Ortiz Oakley
Dr. Alfonso González Toribio
Dr. Abelardo Mariña Flores
2:25 PM: Break / Un Cafecito & Vendor / Exhibits Fair
- Red Carpet Interviews - Jeannette Sandoval & Alejandro Ramos-Barajas
- LEAD Cake and Coffee Provided (Lobby)
2:40 PM: Capstone Presentation – “El Plan de San Bernardino”
Although both U.S. and Mexico have done well to focus on addressing socio-economic disparities, improving access, quality, and equity in their respective domestic education systems, the increasingly needed focus on internationalization has so far been relatively limited compared to other areas. Despite major institutional efforts carried out by higher education institutions across both countries to foster greater internationalization of their academic programs, their campuses, foster collaboration with global partners, and promote cross-cultural learning opportunities for students and faculty alike, the various governmental sectors to date have not done nearly enough to actively promote a comprehensive agenda for internationalization in its education systems across the U.S. / Mexico border.
Expanding on the concept of Megaregion, the U.S. and Mexico are an inevitability where two neighbors' proximity tend to be greatly and deeply tied, in namely economic and deep cultural links. It was 1994's North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) that accelerated the commercialization of the megaregion, particularly its specialization in advanced manufacturing. The current scenario of Southern California - U.S. and Baja California Norte - Mexico is a working example of how an integrated North American economy creates opportunity on both sides of the border. Each side ensures a steady migration of labor and skills.
However, if we have governmental agreements over Trade, why not have similar agreements over Education? To move beyond the margins, a new plan is necessary, one that moves toward a solutions-based bilateral relationship of mutual respect, collaboration, development, and research. As a placeholder, we are calling this “El Plan de San Bernardino”. What is needed is for this framework to structure ideas about and can include the goals set for community development. One that disrupts and reframes the definitions of the public good, the narratives around the definitions of citizenship that create wider distinctions than before between the "deserving" or "super-" citizen, and the undeserving or "sub-" citizen.
- Define educational projects of academic extension and collaboration based on the proposals and discussions held at binational higher education meetings;
- Promote long-term educational and cultural exchange programs through networks of higher education institutions, researchers, teachers, legislators and students on both sides of the international border; and
- Promote research, teaching and dissemination of factors related to the migration of Mexicans, their insertion into society, their economic and cultural contributions to both countries, the Latino education crisis, and the barriers and role transnationals play at the global level.
- Moderator: John Binkley, M.F.A., Associate Vice Provost and Dean of the College of Extended and Global Education, CSUSB
- Panelist: Prof. Armando Vazquez-Ramos (†), Founder, California-Mexico Studies Center, Inc.
- Panelist: Luz Vazquez-Ramos, President and CEO, California-Mexico Studies Center, Inc.
- Panelist: Dra. Esther Alonso, Mexico Academic Coordinator, California-Mexico Studies Center, Inc.
- Panelist: Dr. Gustavo Pacheco-Lopez, Coordinador General, Chancellor’s Office, Metropolitan Autonomous University, Mexico City
John Binkley
Prof. Armando Vazquez-Ramos (†)
Luz Vazquez-Ramos
Dra. Esther Alonso
Dr. Gustavo Pacheco-Lopez
3:20 PM: Concluding Remarks & Acknowledgements / Despedida
* Sessions schedule subject to change. Please check back to see the most up to date schedule of events.
Dr. Enrique G. Murillo, Jr.