This event is free to the public; advanced ticketing purchase is available and recommended.
We are uniting with cultural organizations from around America to pay tribute to the generations of Latine and Hispanic Americans who have enriched our nation and society. Join us as we learn about Latino heritage from the perspectives of Ohioans with different cultural backgrounds. This panel discussion is part of ¡Celebrando! at the Ohio History Center, for more information please follow this link.
Please stick around after our discussion to connect with our Panelists and each other!
Community Panelists:
Rosa Rojas, Curator, National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center
Curator, artist, educator and designer Rosa Rojas creates through many mediums: mixed media, printmaking, fiber arts, jewelry, ceramics, and graphic design. Born in the Dominican Republic and raised in New York City, Rojas attended The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art and worked with several NY design studios before accepting a position with the Ohio History Connection and currently curating exhibits at the National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center. An advocate of expression and healing through the Arts, Rojas is a community artist who uses art to develop multicultural understanding.
Dr. Rebecca F. Kemper, Columbus Landmarks Foundation
Dr. Rebecca F. Kemper is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Columbus Landmarks and first Hispanic leader for the organization. Her research focuses on the intersection of the built environment, societal change / technological advancements, & cultural meaning. Dr. Kemper’s work has been featured within The Royal Society, Carolina Planning Journal, Technological Horizons in Education, The Routledge Handbook of International Planning Education, and the Journal of Urban Affairs.
Joseph Ze Soza (He/Him/El), Central Ohio Organizer, Equality Ohio
As an activist and creator with an intersectional vision for decolonization and queer liberation, Joseph has been involved in community service and organizing since his undergraduate career. He is especially passionate about the lived equity of other LGBTQ+ Latin(e) individuals, and he brings this passion to his work and his many volunteer roles. In his free time, Joseph is a student of yoga and capoeira, a writer, a singer, and a cook. He is a proud Gay Buddhist Boricua with very good taste in life.
Selina Pagán, Executive Director, Young Latino Network
Selina Pagán is the executive director of the Young Latino Network, where she leads efforts in community building, civic engagement, and advocacy for the Latine community. With a background in economic development and a passion for cultivating positive social change, Selina has been recognized as a Forbes "30 Under 30" Local Lister and Crain's Cleveland Business "Twenty in their 20s" honoree. Born and raised in Cleveland, she proudly embraces her Puerto Rican heritage and enjoys connecting with her roots through travel.
Paloma Martinez-Cruz, Professor of Latinx Cultural Studies, Director, Program of Latinx Studies
Paloma Martinez-Cruz is a professor of Latinx Cultural Studies in the Departments of Spanish and Portuguese and English at The Ohio State University. Author of Trust the Circle: The Resistance and Resilience of Rubén Castilla Herrera (2023) and Food Fight! Millennial Mestizaje Meets the Culinary Marketplace (2019), her recent chapbook-length poetry collection, Other Bombs (Seven Kitchens Press, 2023) offers a Spanglish-infused sense of social urgency to amplify the politics of possibility and find celebration in unexpected places. She directs and performs with the Taco Reparations Brigade performance project, and coordinates Onda Latinx Ohio, an arts initiative showcasing Latinx arts from the Midwest and beyond.
Edwin V. Juarez, Sr. MCRP, OIF Veteran, U.S. Army, Second-Year Ph.D. fellow in City and Regional Planning, OSU Knowlton School of Architecture.
Edwin V. Juarez, Sr. is a second-year Ph.D. fellow in City and Regional Planning at The Ohio State University's Knowlton School of Architecture. With nearly eight years of service in the U.S. Army as a Reconnaissance Team Leader, Edwin deployed to several global locations, including Combat Outpost Cashe South in southeastern Baghdad, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom with the legendary 10th Mountain Division.
Originating from South Central Los Angeles, Edwin's asymmetrical journey to academia reflects resilience and determination. As a first-generation American and civil war refugee from El Salvador, he faced multiple periods of homelessness, including spending part of his youth and young adulthood in Skid Row. These challenging and formative experiences have driven his passion for equitable housing and inclusive community development, particularly within the intersections of land usage and aging in place.
Hillary Morales Robles, Associate AIA, Columbus Landmarks Foundation
Hillary Morales Robles is a distinguished preservation architect from Puerto Rico with dual master’s degrees in Architecture and Historic Preservation from the University of Pennsylvania. Her notable work includes contributions to Grand Central Terminal and the Equitable Life Building in New York City, as well as international projects at the UNESCO Heritage Site in Aphrodisias, Turkey, and her work with the National Park Service in the documentation of the Simon Bolivar Memorial located in Washington, DC. Her award-winning thesis on tactical preservation of 20th-century public schools in Puerto Rico earned her prestigious accolades, including the Sachs Program for Arts Innovation and the Anthony Nicholas Brady Garvan Award. Recently, Hillary was honored with the 2024 Next Up Columbus Awards, recognizing her as one of 24 emerging leaders shaping the future of central Ohio with her innovative contributions at Columbus Landmarks Foundation.
Lair Marin-Marcum, Ohio Strategic Director, The Libre Initiative
Lair Marin-Marcum is the Ohio Strategic Director for The LIBRE Initiative. She’s originally from Spain and has lived in Ohio for 25 years. Lair worked for the State of Ohio in the Ohio Latino Affairs Commission for over 12 years and 2 for the Ohio Department of Transportation as the State Regional Outreach & Hispanic Community Director. Lair is the Vice President and Education Chair for the Columbus Hispanic Chamber. Lair is also the 1st Latina to sit on the South-Western City School District Education Foundation board of trustees. Lair also sits on the Metro Early College High School Community Council. “Metro” is a STEM Focused semi-public, non-charter privately funded high school in the OSU campus for gifted students.
Ezra Escudero
Ezra Escudero is an Ohio native of Mexican heritage who has earned a reputation for successful leadership in government, entrepreneurship, and community service. He was an active student-leader at The Ohio State University in the 1990’s. Ezra was the publisher of a bilingual Spanish-English newspaper and Executive Director of the Ohio Commission on Hispanic/Latino Affairs in the 2000’s. He volunteered time, talent, and treasure as an active mentor of college-aged Latino students in the 2010’s while serving as State Director of the Ohio Small Business Development Centers. Today he is a theologian and family man; and all along the way, Ezra is committed to bring cultures and people together in fellowship, dignity, and understanding.
Carolina Romero, Student, Denison University- Class of 2025
Carolina Romero is a first-generation Latina, born to immigrant parents from Mexico and raised in Chicago. She is currently a student at Denison University, where she is pursuing a degree in Global Health. Carolina is passionate about advocating for immigrant and refugee communities and is actively involved on campus. She is the Co-President for Medical Volunteers, serves as a Senior Advisor for Global Fellows, and works with the Office of First-Year Experience to support the transition of incoming first-years.
Annette M. Vasquez, Founder, FLOWER Day-Ze, El Mercadito
In 2020 Annette opened FLOWER day-ze, a floral business where she aspires to help people express their special message into a beautiful bouquet when words cannot. Additionally, provide floral needs to events. In 2022 she started El Mercadito, a year-round traveling pop-up market that highlights the Latine community by supporting local artists and small businesses. Mercadito provides a safe space that helps to connect the very diverse Latine Hispanic community that we have here in Columbus and a space for people to learn more about our cultures, our music, our food, and our community as well as support our small businesses. They are more than just vendor markets, they serve as beacons in our community. Throughout the year, they organize various drives, including a back-to-school drive in July, a food drive in partnership with Mid-Ohio Food Bank in September, a winter coat drive in October, and a toy drive with Buckeye Ranch in November. Also, an Alumni of E.L.L.A (formally known as LMA) graduated Cycle 13 Currently, she is the Office Manager for the Hispanic Chamber of Columbus Annette’s vision is to not only strive to provide excellent customer service through her businesses but to also provide hope to the community. Using dedication, perseverance, and hard work she utilizes the skills she’s learned over the years, both professionally and personally, to fabricate her businesses to support the people in the communities around her.
