Graduate students in the West Virginia University Department of Foreign Languages will share and celebrate the diverse cultures of Iberia and Latin America from 4-6 p.m. Friday (Oct. 18) in the Mountainlair Shenandoah Room as part of the campus-wide observance of Diversity Week and the national observance of Latino Heritage Month.


A group of graduate students and their professor will provide several presentations exhibiting diverse cultures from the countries of Spain, Brazil, Cuba, Mexico, Columbia and Peru entitled”Iberian/American Diversities.”


The presentations grew out of a project the students undertook as part of their graduate course titled”The Other Literatures,”which examined the literatures of minorities in Spain.


Cristina Bahillo and Bea Macias will begin the event with a presentation of Spain, its history and the varied cultures that influence the nation today.


Juan Gonzalez and Alex Castaneda will give a presentation on Columbia and Peru, focusing on the cultures that were present before the Spanish Conquest, such as the Inca culture, and the cultures that emerged from that period to present day.


Flavia Costa and Livia Lirio will provide a presentation on the different cultures existing in Brazil. Carydad Morales will present a short film on todays Cuban culture, and Liliana Tamez will speak on Mexico.


The event is free and open to the public


The Department of Foreign Languages is one of 16 academic units within the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences.