Dr. Ana María Hernández,

Ana María Hernández (Ph.D., Comparative Literature, New York University) specializes in Caribbean and River Plate studies and is Professor of Latin American Literature and Culture at LaGuardia Community College, The City University of New York, where she directs the Latin American studies program. Her publications have focused on Julio Cortázar, Horacio Quiroga, Julio Herrera y Reissig, Felisberto Hernández and Nicolás Guillén. She has researched the African roots of Cuban music with a Focus Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Her recent publications include an annotated edition of Fantoches 1926: Folletín Moderno por Once Escritores Cubanos (Stockcero, 2011), an anthology of tales by Felisberto Hernández, Las Hortensias y Otros Cuentos (Stockcero, 2011), and an annotated edition of Cirilo Villaverde’s novel, Cecilia Valdés o La Loma del Ángel (Stockcero, 2013). With Raúl Rubio (John Jay College, CUNY) she co-edited the arts section of the Handbook on Cuban History, Literature and the Arts (2014), edited by Mauricio Font and Araceli Tinajero of the Bildner Center and the CUNY Graduate Center. She is presently collaborating on a critical anthology of Cuban poets in New York edited by Elena Martínez (Baruch College and the Graduate Center, CUNY).

 Lisaury’s history,

Hello, my name is Lisaury Díaz, I was born in the Dominican Republic and I immigrated to the United States when I was almost nine years old. I am the peer advisor of Latin American Studies and I work with the program director, Dr. Ana María Hernández. This summer I am going to complete my Associate’s degree in Latin American Studies in LaGuardia Community College and after I graduate I am planning to attend City College. I chose Latin American Studies as my career because I love history and I also love literature and in Latin American Studies I found both of them. Another thing that influenced my decision was the essay of José Martí, “Our America” that says “Our Greece must take priority over the Greece which is not ours,” Hispanics and the world in general, should know more about the history in America before Columbus came. The path to obtain this associate has been bitter, but the overcome of the degree is extremely sweet and worth all.