Richard Reitsma, PhD, is currently on a faculty exchange program at the University of Warsaw in the American Studies Center, organized with Margaret Stefanski, PhD, the Permanent Chair in Polish Culture at Canisius, Daemen University and the Kosciuszko Foundation.
Reitsma is teaching a course on LatinX in the U.S. in literature and film. He has welcomed virtual guests including scholars such as Dr. Deborah Kanter, Dr. Octavio Gonzáez and Dr. Paola Fajardo Heyward; authors Emanuel Xavier, Benjamin Alire Saenz, Michael Nava, Jaime Manrique and Homeboy Industries Reformed Gang Member Gabriel López.
Reitsma has also been invited to give a series of lectures on immigration, LatinX, and LGBTQIA+ issues. He has already presented a keynote talk for the center’s conference on Gender & Sexuality in American Studies (May 23, 2002). His paper was “Queer Identity & Queer Spaces in Cuba, Mexico, and the U.S.”
On June 2, Reitsma presented the last lecture in the American Studies Center colloquium series. His talk is available on the University of Warsaw’s YouTube Channel. Later in June, Reitsma will present a talk on U.S. Immigration issues in Krakow and another in Przemysl. He also plans to visit Ukrainian Refugee centers in Poland, as part of his ongoing research on issues of immigration.
Submitted by: Richard D. Reitsma, PhD, chair, associate professor of Spanish, Department of Modern Languages, Literatures, & Cultures
