20th-Century Latine Boston: Women, Cultural Diplomacy & the Pan-American Dream

MHS Event

Fee: $25 (breakfast and lunch included on 20 September)

Credit: 22.5 PDPs or 1 graduate credit with Worcester State University (for an additional fee of $125)

Register for this teacher workshop

Join the Massachusetts Historical Society for a deep dive into Latine history and culture in Boston in the early-to-mid 20th century! Against the backdrop of the Pan-American movement’s spirit of unity, we will explore how Boston became a hub of women-led cultural diplomacy for a growing Latine community. Participants will discover the intertwined histories of the Club de Español (founded 1901) and the Pan American Society of Boston (founded 1940), and will explore how these women organizers pushed back against American xenophobia and created opportunities for cultural celebration and pride, community outreach, and mutual understanding.

Educators will work hands-on with primary sources, such as event flyers, broadsides, film clips, and scrapbooks to develop strategies for incorporating this local history into U.S. History, Latin American Studies, and general social studies classrooms. We will also discuss how this history can offer a local lens for exploring broader topics including Simón Bolívar and movements for Latin American independence; nativism and US imperialism; cultural diplomacy; and FDR’s Good Neighbor Policy.

This program is open to all who work with K-12 students. Teachers can earn either 22.5 PDPs or 1 graduate credit with Worcester State University (for an additional fee of $125). In addition to attending our in-person workshop on Saturday September 20th, participants will attend a hybrid program with our scholar Dr. Villanueva on Thursday, September 18th (6 PM to 7 PM, no separate registration required) and a post-workshop reflection Zoom on Saturday, October 25th (10 AM to 11:30 AM).