Mexican Consul General Maria Elena Orantes and Deputy Consul General Juan Carlos Hernández Wocker, along with members of the consular team visited the University of Houston’s Center for Mexican American and Latino/a Studies (CMALS) on Friday, June 5. It’s the first consular visit to the center since it was established in 1972.
The visit to campus included a tour of the center’s new location and was part of the
lead up to the University of Houston’s centennial celebration. Students shared their
experiences at CMALS with the delegation and described how the center has shaped their
academic and personal paths.
“Thank you so much for inviting us. I am very excited and committed to collaborating
and continuing to work on these connections with the center,” said Consul General
Orantes (translated from Spanish). “In this way, we will be able to see more Mexicans
and Latinos achieve their goals.”
The visit reflects a growing relationship between the consulate and the university,
rooted in a shared investment in the Mexican and Latino communities that define much
of Houston. For CMALS, housed in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences,
the meeting was a chance to introduce officials who serve as advocates for students
and programs across the region to the center’s essential efforts.
"The interest from the consul general of Mexico underscores the high quality of research
and outreach at the Center for Mexican American and Latino/a Studies," said Daniel
P. O'Connor, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. “This center
is vital to the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, the university, and the
city. It allows our faculty and students to better understand the impact of Mexican
and Latino culture locally and globally. I am glad we shared this important work during
the visit.”
CMALS is a hub for scholarship on Mexican American and Latino history, culture, and
policy, connecting faculty research with the communities it studies. Visits like this
one open doors for partnership, from student support to economic and cultural exchange.
The meeting is one step in an ongoing conversation on the importance of sharing and
preserving cultures. By bringing consular officials face to face with the students
at the heart of its mission, CMALS strengthened a connection that supporters hope
will deepen in the years ahead.