Ramos - Reyes to speak about what it means to be Hispanic

"An unexamined life is not worth living." Dr. Mario Ramos-Reyes made reference to this quote by Socrates when stressing how important it is for people to know their own roots.

Ramos - Reyes, a philosophy instructor at Kansas City Community College , will be on the Emporia State University campus to talk about what it means to be Hispanic.

"What does it mean to be Hispanic? Latino vs. Hispano: A Cultural Controversy will be held Sept. 29 in Visser Hall, Room 330 - Jones Conference Center .

Learning the similarities and dramatic differences among Latino groups and the events which shape their culture today is one of the goals for the lecture.

"My talk will be on what it means to be Hispanic, its characteristics, and basically Hispanic culture rooted in history," Ramos-Reyes said.

He will answer some common questions that often arise about the Hispanic culture. Such as where the name Hispanic comes from, basic traits that all Hispanics can relate to and are all Hispanic people Latinos, are all Latino people Hispanic and do the differences matter.

"This is very beneficial to the whole community. People can get better informed about Hispanic identity, about our history so that stereotypes can easily be avoided," he said. "It is my experience that when people are aware of other backgrounds and cultures, people get along better; knowledge is the front door for friendship and love."

He will also get the audience involved, by asking them about their perception of the Hispanic community and some common stereotypes associated with the Hispanic/Latino community.

"I encourage everyone to get to know different groups, engage into conversation with everyone, befriend all of them," Ramos - Reyes said about how to overcome stereotypes and better educate people on the different Hispanic/Latino groups.

Ramos-Reyes has authored over 600 newspaper columns in international affairs since 1988 and presented numerous speeches as a senior advisor to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 1998 he opened the first General Consulate of the Republic of Paraguay to the State of Kansas .

The program is sponsored by the ESU Teachers College and the Kansas Humanities Council. For more information, call 620-341-5096.

Last Updated July 2, 2007>