Latino/Latin American Studies Lectures

Mexi-sotans & Minnesotanos: The Past, Present, and Future of Mexican and Latino Culture in the "Bold North"

Document Type

Presentation

Publication Date

9-27-2024

Sponsoring Department(s)

Latino/Latin American Studies (LLAS)

Abstract

Aaron Johnson-Ortiz -- Minnesota-based muralist, artist, cultural organizer, and arts administrator -- is the Executive Director of (Neo)Muralismos de México, and the Founder of the Minnesota Latino Museum. Aaron will share his upbringing shuttling between rural Minnesota, Saint Paul, Guatemala City, and San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico; and trace the deep cultural history of Mexicans and Latinos in Minnesota: From the arrival in our state of Oaxaqueño flute-player Luis Garzon in 1886; to the Minnesota roots of Lila Downs, considered by many to be the most prominent contemporary Mexican singer; to the graphic design work of Luis Fitch, who chaired the committee to develop the new Minnesota State Flag; to the election in 2022 of "Sota-Rican" singer and hip-hop artist María Isa Pérez-Vega as MN State Representative; to the creation of an Ofrenda at the MN State Capitol in 2022, which led Minnesota to become the first state in the US to officially recognize Day of the Dead -- Minnesota Mexicans and Latinos punch way above our weight in terms of arts and cultural production. Lastly, Aaron will outline the historical and cultural impact of the Mississippi River -- how it has connected the geographic regions known today as the American Midwest and Latin America for centuries and even millennia. The Mississippi riverfront in Minnesota's Capital City of Saint Paul is the site selected for the proposed Minnesota Latino Museum, which will honor those ancient connections, preserve Mexican and Latino cultural heritage in the Upper Midwest, and celebrate new and old art forms for generations to come.

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