Events By Quarter
Cup of Culture
Jurakán: Nación en Resistencia (Nation in Resistance)
MCC Theater
Jurakán: Nation in Resistance documents the historical struggle of Puerto Rico, a Caribbean nation that refuses to disappear. It is narrated by 40+ boricuas- artists, experts, politicians and activists- of different perspectives. The documentary has been praised by prominent Puerto Rican figures like Nelson Denis, Blanca Eró and Congressman Luis V. Gutiérrez.
Post film discussion with the director, Gonzalo Mazzini, and the creative producer, Rosa Emmanuelli Gutiérrez. Together they ventured on a journey to answer the daunting question, what does it mean to be Puerto Rican? Jurakán is the riveting result of their search for answers. 1h 33m
Race Matters
Defending the Hood: Fighting Back Against Gentrification Alejandra Melgoza, Gaby Hernandez, Jorge Cabanillas, Jonathan Gomez Facilitated by George Ygarza
MCC Lounge
As inequality continues to grow all across the country, many communities are contending with the effects of tech booms, new-age trends and progress. Those on the periphery understand these as euphemisms, disguising violent processes of displacement, marginalization and erasure. This panel will bring together members of various communities that have confronted gentrification as we discuss strategy while looking at the ways in which these local battles are part of a broader system. Alejandra Melgoza is a community organizer with Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE) working for tenants rights. Gaby Hernandez is a licensed clinical social worker and works with Chicanos Unidos fighting gentrification. Jorge Cabanillas is a member of Queens Neighborhoods United, a New York grassroots organization doing anti-gentrification work. Jonathan D. Gomez is a faculty member in the Department of Chicana and Chicano Studies at San Jose State University, and examines the racial, spatial, and gender dimensions of social space in the postindustrial city. The facilitator, George Ygarza is a PhD student in the Global Studies department at UCSB.
Performance
Expressing Urban-Indigenous Identity Sammay Dizon
MCC Theater
SAMMAY (Samantha Peñaflor Dizon) is a kinetic storyteller who engages her body as a vessel for spiritual intercession and envisions a future in which our indigenous traditions co-exist with(in) our urban landscapes. Her choreography is a unique blend of Hip Hop, urban dance, and contemporary movement with African diaspora influence - inspired by the desire and longing to (re)connect and (re)vitalize our relationship with the earth and each other. She is of Kapampangan, Ilokano, and Bikol descent born and bred in Carson, CA/Tongva Territory and now reclaiming space in San Francisco, CA with honor and gratitude to the Ohlone. She holds a B.A. in Media Studies and Sociology and minors in Dance & Performance Studies and Global Poverty & Practice from University of California, Berkeley.
Cup of Culture
Los Eternos Indocumentados
MCC Theater
Based on interviews with recently arrived Central American immigrants and organizers leading the struggle on the ground in Central America and the United States, this film captures the stories of refugees, LGBTQ migrants, children and families, and uncovers the root causes of forced migration and the consequences of migrant incarceration. In the words of revolutionary Salvadoran poet, Roque Dalton, this film captures the lives of the eternally undocumented.
Post film discussion with Steven Osuna, Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology at California State University, Long Beach, and Jennifer Carcamo, a queer Salvadoran independent filmmaker, scholar, organizer and PhD student in the History Department at UCLA with a focus on Latin America. 1h 17m
