José Martí Freedom and Struggle in the Americas Lecture

Labor Economist Andrés Torres to Discuss Latino Futures

Torres is the director of the Mauricio Gastón Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy at UMass Boston, which was established by Latino community activists and academicians in response to a need for improved understanding of Latino experiences and living conditions in Massachusetts. The task of the institute is to inform policy makers about issues vital to the Commonwealth's growing Latino community and to provide this community with information necessary for effective participation in public policy development.

A professor of Latino studies and economics at the UMass Boston College of Public and Community Service, he is the author of Between Melting Pot and Mosaic: African Americans and Puerto Ricans in the New York Political Economy and co-editor of The Puerto Rican Movement: Voices from the Diaspora.

Before joining UMass Boston, Torres worked in a number of community-based organizations and public agencies in New York conducting policy analyses and evaluations. He has published labor market analyses of urban populations, workforce development policies, and social movements.

The son of deaf parents who migrated to the United States from Puerto Rico, Torres grew up in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan. He is fluent in English, spanish and sign language. He is currently living in Brookline, Mass. with his wife.

This lecture is sponsored by the Latin America and Latino Studies program.