Daisy Vargas, PhD
Barbara Starrett
SaddleBrooke Freethinkers are proud to have Daisy Vargas, Ph.D., assistant professor, Department of Religious Studies, University of Arizona, College of Humanities, speak on “Religion, Identity, and Encounter in the U.S.-Mexico Borderlands” on Sunday, April 21, at 9:45 a.m.
This talk will focus on how Mexican Catholic religious practices aid and inform the maintenance and construction of ethnic and racial identities in the United States. Dr. Vargas will also illustrate how these ritual engagements help migrants maintain connections to places of origin throughout and across the U.S.-Mexico borderlands.
Dr. Vargas received her Ph.D. in history from the University of California Riverside. She is an ethnographer and historian of religion, specializing in Catholicism in the Americas; race, ethnicity, and religion in the United States; and Latinx religion. Her current book project traces the history of Mexican religion, race, and the law from the 19th century into the contemporary moment. Dr. Vargas is involved in museum curatorial work, and she also serves on the advisory committee for the Lilly Endowment-funded Engaging Lived Religion in the 21st Century Museum at the Fowler Museum of UCLA. She is co-chair of the Religions in the Latina/o Americas Unit, and steering committee member of the Catholic Studies Unit for the American Academy of Religion.
SaddleBrooke Freethinkers provides a forum for the responsible search for truth and meaning in understanding and solving human problems by applying science and reason. We believe that tolerance, compassion, equity, and civility should characterize interactions among people and organizations. We strive to achieve these goals through meetings, lectures, and discussions.
You can become a member of the SaddleBrooke Freethinkers for $15 per calendar year. This fee includes all lectures and other Freethinkers events, like the book club and social events. The lecture program runs January through April and October through December. Lectures are open to all SaddleBrooke residents and their guests as space is available. Nonmembers are encouraged to make a $5 donation to defray costs.
Attendees are encouraged to bring nonperishable food items and/or cash donations for the Tri-Community Food Bank.
For dates of future programs, go to our website SBFreethinkers.wordpress.com.
For questions or to be added to the email list, please send your contact information to [email protected].