Mary Romero, an internationally recognized authority on reproductive labor and family inequalities, will speak Tuesday, April 29, at the first scholarly presentation of the University of Wyoming's Social Justice Research Center (SJRC).
Romero, a professor of justice studies and social inquiry at Arizona State University, will speak from 4-5:30 p.m. in the College of Education auditorium. Her presentation, titled "What immigration raids tell us about Latino Families and the State," is free and open to the public.
She will also speak to UW classes while at the university.
"We are honored to bring such a distinguished scholar to the University of Wyoming," says SJRC Director Francisco Rios. "Dr. Romero's scholarship exemplifies the best of research with a social justice lens. The focus of her academic achievements on women and labor highlight a much-neglected area of our thinking. But in uncovering these often silenced voices, we learn anew about the task of widening the path for democracy, dignity and human rights."
Romero's research focuses on the unequal distribution of reproductive labor as a paid commodity and its role in reproducing inequality among families within countries and between nations. Her research also includes writings on social injustices that incorporate the intersectionality of race, class, gender and citizenship.
The 2004 recipient of the Society for the Study of Social Problems' Lee Founders Award, one of the most prestigious honors for an activist scholar, Romero is author of "Maid in the U.S.A.," a 1992 book that studies the exploitation of domestic service workers in the United States.
Romero's visit to UW is sponsored by the SJRC and the departments of Chicano Studies and Family and Consumer Sciences.
The SJRC, established last year, is an interdisciplinary center dedicated to addressing practical and theoretical questions arising from the pursuit of social justice. The idea for the center stemmed from a directive of the President's Advisory Council for Minorities and Women's Affairs.
For more information on the SJRC or to become a member, go to the Web site at www.uwyo.edu/sjrc.
