Community Discussion and Film Screening: Dreaming From the Shadows, with the Hispanic Women’s Organization of Arkansas
Join us for a community discussion and screening of the short film Dreaming From the Shadows, which reflects on the historic 2006 demonstrations and Arkansas’s changing demographics that changed how Latinos were perceived in Arkansas communities.
Co-hosted with the Hispanic Women’s Organization of Arkansas (HWOA), the event features a panel discussion with local Latinx community members making a significant impact to integrate, advance, and support the next generation of Latinx leaders.
The discussion features HWOA Founder and Director Margarita Solorzano, who will be joined in conversation with regional changemakers and collaborators.
Speakers include Dr. Bill Schwab, former executive director of The David and Barbara Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History at the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences; Kelly Miller, documentary filmmaker and content creator; Rafael Arciga-Garcia, assistant dean for Diversity Recruitment at the University of Arkansas; Tania Cardenas, assistant principal at Mary Mae Jones Elementary School in Bentonville; and Anne Yancey, staff interpreter for the Administrative Office of the Courts and founding member of HWOA.
You’ll learn more about the film, the Hispanic Women’s Organization of Arkansas, their work and focus exhibition at Crystal Bridges, and discuss the growth, change, and obstacles still faced by the Latinx community in Northwest Arkansas.
We hope to see you there!
Free, tickets required. Reserve your spot online or by calling Guest Services at (479) 657-2335 today.
About the Speakers
Kelly Miller
Kelly Miller is a documentary filmmaker and a content creator. In her career, she has worked in television news and video production. She graduated from the University of Arkansas with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism in 2019. Kelly is currently pursuing a Masters of Science in Communications at Syracuse University. As a passionate storyteller, Kelly aspires to start her own production company and film feature length documentaries.
Rafael Arciga-Garcia
Rafael Arciga-Garcia is the Assistant Dean for Diversity Recruitment at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. He is a former undocumented student originally from Michoacán, Mexico. Rafael graduated from the University of Arkansas in 2010 with a Bachelor of Science in International Relations and Latin American studies, and in 2018 he earned a Masters degree in Higher Education. Rafael received a HWOA Scholarship in 2004.
Margarita Solorzano
Margarita Solorzano is Executive Director and a founding member of the Hispanic Women’s Organization of Arkansas (HWOA), originally from Mexico. At age 13 and with a 6th grade education, she started working full time at a sewing factory. She obtained a GED equivalent while maintaining her full time job. She also obtained a certificate in management and preservation of grains and seeds and worked several years in that field. She also worked in the Guanajuato State Finance and Administration office. In 1990, she migrated to the United States with her two young daughters, Edma and Xochitl. She consults with numerous private and government on immigration, Latino issues, and community integration.
Anne Yancey
Anne Yancey, a native Arkansan, is a staff interpreter for the Administrative Office of the Courts. She has state and federal certifications in court interpreting. Anne is a founding member of the Hispanic Women’s Organization of Arkansas. She has lived in Northwest Arkansas since 1981, after spending eight years in Guatemala, and since then has used her bilingual skills to help bridge language barriers. She works with judges, attorneys, mediators, and law students to show them how and why to use qualified interpreters at every step in legal proceedings to ensure access to due process for persons whose first language is not English.
William Schwab
William Schwab, Ph.D. retired after 46 years of service to the University of Arkansas. Dr. Schwab served in different roles, including university professor, dean, and executive director. He has written five books and numerous articles, papers, and technical reports, and has worked with national and international groups. Schwab has been studying Northwest Arkansas’s Hispanic community since 2007, especially focused on undocumented children and youth. His research is shared in his books Right to DREAM: Immigration Reform and America’s Future, published in 2013, and Dreams Derailed: Undocumented Youths in the Trump Era, published in 2018.
Tania Cardenas
Tania Cardenas, Assistant Principal at Mary Mae Jones Elementary School, Bentonville School District. Tania was born in Guanajuato, Mexico. At age four, her family of dairy farmers brought her to the US on a journey through California, Texas, and Oklahoma to live in Arkansas, where at first she felt out of place. Tania graduated from SHS when she was 4 months pregnant. She was the first in her family to graduate from high school and go to college. Tania earned an A.A. from NWACC, B.A. and M.A. from the U of A. Tania and her husband Eric have four beautiful children. She became a US citizen in 2011. Tania received a HWOA Scholarship in 2013.