Skip to main content
University of Nebraska Omaha logo University of Nebraska Omaha
APPLY MY UNO DIRECTORY

Students Faculty Staff Community
APPLY MY UNO DIRECTORY
Students Faculty Staff Community
  • About
    About UNO
    • Leadership
    • Mission and Strategic Plan
    • Accreditation
    • Our City: Omaha
    • Facts & Figures
    • News
    • Events
    • Organizational Units
    • Campus Safety
    • Buildings and Maps
    Get Started
    • Apply
    • Campus Visit
    • Contact Us
    Front view of UNO's ASH building
    Get Started Today

    Apply Now
  • Academics
    Majors and Programs
    • Undergraduate Programs
    • Master's Programs
    • Doctoral Programs
    • International Programs
    • Online Programs
    • Class Search
    Colleges
    • College of Arts and Sciences
    • College of Business Administration
    • College of Communication, Fine Arts and Media
    • College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences
    • College of Information Science & Technology
    • College of Public Affairs and Community Service
    • Graduate Studies
    Resources
    • Catalogs
    • Academic Calendar
    • Library
    • Advising
    • Academic Affairs
    • Registrar
    • Academic Support
    • Request Transcript
    Top view glance of calendar showing August 2024
    Deadlines Are Approaching

    View year-at-a-glance calendars that include term start and end dates, and school holidays.

    Academic Calendar
  • Cost & Aid Backback to Main menu
    • Undergraduate Tuition
    • Graduate Tuition
    • Financial Support
    • Cost of Attendance
    • Undergraduate Scholarships
    • All Scholarship Information
    • Military and Veterans Benefits
    • Consumer Information
  • Admissions
    Get Started
    • Apply
    • Complete Your FAFSA
    • Schedule a Campus Visit
    • Request Info
    Admitted Students
    • Orientation
    • Enrollment Deposit
    • Transcripts
    • UNO 101
    • New Student & Family Events
    Cost & Aid
    • Undergraduate Tuition
    • Graduate Tuition
    • Financial Aid
    • Cost of Attendance
    • Scholarships
    • Military and Veterans Benefits
    • Consumer Information
    Admissions
    • Undergraduate Admissions
    • Transfer Students
    • Graduate Admissions
    Students walking together on campus for a tour
    Visit UNO's Campus

    Schedule a Tour
  • Student Life
    Campus Life
    • Event Calendar
    • Athletics
    • Campus Dining
    • Student Housing
    • Campus Recreation
    • Milo Bail Student Center
    • Parking and Transportation
    • Campus Safety
    Involvement and Leadership
    • Student Organizations
    • Student Government
    • Career Services and Internships
    • Spirit and Tradition
    • Student Leadership, Involvement, and Inclusion
    Support
    • Academic Support
    • Maverick Advising Center
    • Accessibility
    • Durango's Advancement & Support Hub (DASH)
    • Student Service
    • Student Safety
    Resources
    • Health Services
    • Military-Connected Resources
    • Student Conduct and Community Standards
    • Division of Student Life and Wellbeing
    Students participating in a beading craft activity
    Get Involved on Campus

    See Events Calendar
  • Engagement
    Students
    • Student Service and Leadership Collaborative
    • Find Volunteer Opportunities
    • Maverick Food Pantry
    • Voter Information
    • Internship Opportunities
    • Career Services
    • Student Resources
    • Become an Engaged Scholar
    Faculty and Staff
    • Faculty Senate
    • Center for Faculty Excellence
    • Staff Advisory Council
    • Faculty Resources
    • Engaged Research
    • Service Learning Academy
    • Community-Based Learning Courses
    Community
    • Campus Resources
    • Service Learning Academy
    • Samuel Bak Museum: The Learning Center
    • Promote Volunteer Opportunities
    • Promote Internship Opportunities
    • Rent Office Space
    • Senior Passport Program
    • Community Engagement Partnership Initiative
    Office of Engagement
    • Connect to Campus
    • Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center
    • Service Learning Academy
    • Rent Office Space
    • Samuel Bak Museum: The Learning Center
    • Partner With Us
    • Senior Passport Program
    • Nebraska Business Development Center
    • Community Partners on Campus
    Student volunteering with a food bank
    Connect with Us

    Contact the Office of Engagement
  • Research
    Student
    • Research and Creative Activity Fair
    • Graduate Research (GRACA)
    • Student Conference Travel Fund
    • Undergraduate Scholarly Experience (FUSE) Fund
    Faculty
    • Grant Databases
    • External Funding
    • Awards and Committees
    • Office of Sponsored Programs
    Research at UNO
    • Office of Research and Creative Activity
    • Research News
    • Centers and Institutes
    Students giving presentations on research projects
    UNO Pushes Innovation Forward

    Read UNO Research News
  • Athletics
    Men's Teams
    • Baseball
    • Basketball
    • Golf
    • Hockey
    • Soccer
    • Swimming & Diving
    • Tennis
    Women's Teams
    • Basketball
    • Cross Country
    • Golf
    • Soccer
    • Softball
    • Swimming & Diving
    • Tennis
    • Track & Field
    • Volleyball
    Game Day Resources
    • Purchase Tickets
    • Team Schedules
    • Buy Maverick Gear
    Baxter Arena
    • Calendar
    • Tickets
    • Directions & Parking
    • Clear Bag Policy
    • Public Skating
    Hockey player walking out on the ice arena
    Cheer on our Mavericks!

    Buy Tickets
  • Alumni Backback to Main menu
    • Alumni
    • Transcripts
    • Thompson Center
  1. UNO
  2. News
  3. 2020
  4. 10
  5. OLLAS Serves as Beacon, Voice for Hispanic Communities in Midwest

OLLAS Serves as Beacon, Voice for Hispanic Communities in Midwest

  • published: 2020/10/21
  • contact: Charley Steed - University Communications
  • email: cdreed@unomaha.edu
  • search keywords:
  • latino
  • latinx
  • arts and sciences
  • service
  • community
Logo for OLLAS at UNO

Thursday, Oct. 15, marked the end of Hispanic/Latino Heritage Month; however, that is not the end of the work being done by University of Nebraska at Omaha faculty, staff, and students to call attention to - and celebrate - those from Latinx communities and cultures.

For almost two decades, UNO's Office of Latino/Latin American Studies (OLLAS) has been a leader in education, engagement, and community based research on topics that impact tens of thousands of residents in the Omaha metropolitan area.

"OLLAS is the only specialized unit in the University of Nebraska system tasked with researching the challenges and opportunities Latinos confront as a community and preparing our students to engage in a changing sociocultural context framed by the Latino Community, the fastest growing minority in the State," OLLAS Director Cristian Doña-Reveco explained. "At the same time, OLLAS works to bring Latin America and Latino issues to the community, in a unifying way."

Whether it's community events or innovative research, as Hispanic/Latino Heritage Month comes to a close, those associated with OLLAS are already preparing and working on efforts that will have an impact well into the future.

Community Engagement

Recent events led by OLLAS have included a spotlight on Latino/Latin American artists called ArteLatinx; a biannual showcase of Latino/Latin American movies with Film Streams called Cinemateca; and a public lecture series called Charla, which means "chat" in English.

Just one of the community relevant activities OLLAS is currently involved in is "Hostile Terrain 94" or HT94.

HT94 is a participatory art project composed of approximately 3,200 handwritten toe tags that represent migrants who have died trying to cross the Sonoran Desert of Arizona between the mid-1990s and 2019. These tags are geolocated on a wall map of the desert showing the exact locations where remains were found.

A nationwide tour of HT94 is sponsored and organized by the Undocumented Migration Project (UMP), a non-profit research-art-education-media collective, directed by anthropologist Jason De León. With support from OLLAS and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the installation will be presented at Omaha’s Amplify Arts from Wednesday, Nov. 5, through Saturday, Nov. 28, with visits available, by appointment, on Thursdays and Fridays from 1 - 6 P.M.

OLLAS will open the exhibition with a virtual panel featuring Laura Alexander, Ph.D.; Thomas Sanchez, Ph.D.,; and Cristián Doña-Reveco, Ph.D., on Thursday, Nov. 5, from 6 P.M. to 7 P.M.

More information is available on the project's Eventbrite page, and more information about other upcoming OLLAS events can be found on the OLLAS website.

Research

OLLAS' impact goes beyond community events. It also includes important research.

This has included years-long studies on the impact of Latinos on the statewide economy, a survey of Latino-led businesses in the state, healthcare access for Latinos, and much more.

Currently OLLAS is collaborating with several universities in the United States in the "Voices of a Pandemic" oral history project collecting the experiences of the Latinx community during COVID-19.

OLLAS is also looking to the future through research with many OLLAS-associated faculty working on important projects that explore the lived experience of Latinx individuals in the United States and around the world.

Just a few examples of this work are included below:

Lisette Aliaga-Linares, Ph.D.

With increased immigration enforcement nationwide over the past several years, the impacts on families who are separated are far-reaching and can impact entire communities. This is the focus of a new research project funded by the Goldstein Center for Human Rights and led by Aliaga-Linares, an assistant professor of sogiology and anthropology, in partnership with OLLAS and Doña-Reveco. In particular, their research presents a focused analysis on the community impact of forced separation within the Midwest with the goal of providing a better picture of the social impact of such policies and provide a future framework for more studies looking at regional and local impacts.

Pedro Cantisano, Ph.D.

An assistant professor of history, Cantisano, who was born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is developing a book that looks at the erosion of rights to work and housing in his hometown. An expert in human rights law, Cantisano's work analyzes expropriation, eviction, and criminal cases in the early 20th century, showing that many displaced citizens and immigrants were forcibly removed from the city as part of the government's plan to combat yellow fever and smallpox. The book also draws parallels to modern Brazil and explores what role politics can take in shaping people's lives during a health crisis like COVID-19.

Cristian Doña-Reveco, Ph.D.; Teresa Kulig, Ph.D.; Laura Alexander, Ph.D.; Allison Schlosser, Ph.D.

"Mobile Vulnerable Populations"

A multi-college effort between the College of Public Affairs and Community Service and College of Arts and Sciences, "Mobile Vulnerable Populations" is a community engaged research project looking at the impacts of COVID-19 on organizations working with Latinos, refugees, immigrants, victims of trafficking, and homeless individuals.

Barbara Gomez-Aguinaga, Ph.D.

An assistant professor of public policy and social equity, Gomez-Aguinaga is currently conducting research on the current public health crisis caused by COVID-19 and its impact on the Latinx community in the areas of mental health, media's impact on public trust, and the role of lived experience in perceived risk of contracting and dying from COVID-19. The last effort is a joint project with Cristian Doña-Reveco, director of OLLAS.

Ferial Pearson, Ed.D., and Sandra Rodriguez-Arroyo, D.Ed.

"Even If Our Voices Shake: Refusing to Be and Teaching 'Inside the Lines'"

A recently published 'testimonio' by Pearson, assistant professor of education, and Rodriguez-Arroyo, associate professor of education, this article was a featured chapter in the book "Experiences of radicalization in U.S. colleges and schools of education: Critical reflections on inclusion in the academy."

The chapter focuses on Arroyo and Pearson's experiences as women of color in a state and university that is predominantly white. They focus on their fight for inclusion and against tokenization; the struggle of finding their voice; and empowering students from historically underrepresented backgrounds to do the same.

Curriculum

OLLAS' is also working on preparing the next generation of Latino leaders and professionals.

Among several initiatives, OLLAS and Magie Hall, Ph.D., from UNO’s College of Information Science and Technology, are developing a dual program pairing the Latino and Latin Studies major with the IT Innovation major to prepare IT professionals grounded in a strong sociocultural liberal arts education.


About the University of Nebraska at Omaha

Located in one of America’s best cities to live, work and learn, the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) is Nebraska’s premier metropolitan university. With more than 15,000 students enrolled in 200-plus programs of study, UNO is recognized nationally for its online education, graduate education, military friendliness and community engagement efforts. Founded in 1908, UNO has served learners of all backgrounds for more than 100 years and is dedicated to another century of excellence both in the classroom and in the community.

Follow UNO on Facebook, Twitter (X), Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. 

  • News Sections:
  • UNO News Center
  • Maverick Daily
  • The Bullseye
  • Campus Events

News Sections

  • News Center
  • Maverick Daily
  • The Bullseye
  • Campus Events

Featured Stories

  • UNO and the College World Series
  • UNO Statistician Who Predicted the 2024 Men’s CWS Champion Releases 2025 Forecast
  • 10 Things to Know About UNO During the College World Series
  • Durango Steps Up to the Plate for UNO, CWS Partnership

Contact Us

If you have a story idea, news tip, or other question, please email the UNO News team at unonews@unomaha.edu.

About the Office of Strategic Marketing and Communications (MarComm)

Next Steps

  • Visit UNO
  • Request Information
  • Apply for Admission
  • The UNO Advantage
  • Our City (Omaha)

Just For You

  • Future Students
  • Current Students
  • Work at UNO
  • Faculty and Staff
  • A-Z List

Popular Services and Resources

  • my.unomaha.edu
  • Academic Calendar
  • Campus Buildings & Maps
  • Library
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Course Catalogs
  • Internships & Career Development
  • The Maverick Store
  • MavCARD Services
  • Military-Connected Resource Center
  • Speech Center
  • Writing Center
  • Human Resources
  • Center for Faculty Excellence

Affiliates

  • University of Nebraska System
  • NU Foundation
  • Buffett Early Childhood Institute
  • Daugherty Water for Food Institute
  • National Strategic Research Institute
  • Peter Kiewit Institute
  • Rural Prosperity Nebraska
  1. University Policies
  2. Privacy Statement
  3. Accessibility
  1. 402.554.2800

University of Nebraska Omaha
University of Nebraska Omaha, 6001 Dodge Street, Omaha, NE, 68182
  • ©  
  • Emergency Information Alert
  • MavsReport

Social Media


Omaha Skyline

Our Campus. Otherwise Known as Omaha.

The University of Nebraska does not discriminate based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and/or political affiliation in its education programs or activities, including admissions and employment. The University prohibits any form of retaliation taken against anyone for reporting discrimination, harassment, or retaliation for otherwise engaging in protected activity. Read the full statement.