Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with Jose Borjon

To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 - October 15), Jose V. Borjon, Head Consul of Mexico in Salt Lake City, has been invited to Southern Utah University to speak about the Hispanic population in Utah, their main needs and major issues they are confronting. Mr. Borjon is one of 1674 foreign representations in the United States, and one of 28 foreign representations in Salt Lake City.

Dr. Elizabeth Olson, assistant professor of anthropology and associate director for the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning at Southern Utah University asked Mr. Borjon to speak during Hispanic Heritage Month.

“At SUU we have a history of collaboration with the Consulate of Mexico, who partnered with SUU Rotaract and Rural Health Scholar students last spring when we put together a Feria de Salud (Community Health Fair) for the local Hispanic population in Cedar City. The Consulate of Mexico serves not only individuals and families of Mexican descent, but make many of their services available to Hispanic families regardless of nationality.”

As the nation celebrates Hispanic Heritage, Dr. Olson offers a special topics short course, HIST 2924/3924 that includes a series of special events, including lectures by Mr. Borjon, Gustavo Arellano, Dr. Gene Anderson and Professor Ruth Gomberg-Munoz, as well as films and class discussions.

“Mr. Borjon will speak on the topic ‘Mexicans and Utahns: A Vibrant Partnership’ to illustrate the many important roles and contributions of Hispanics in our state. His talk will also give us the opportunity to better understand the ways that Hispanics and Utahns will grow our partnership into the future. We are honored to have this fruitful collaboration with the Mexican Consulate in Salt Lake City and look forward to Mr. Borjon’s visit.”

Dr. Olson's anthropological research has looked at traditional healing systems in Utah, the Bolivian Amazon, and Mexico, leading her to focus on the intersections among health, environments, and economic markets. Her first book, "Indigenous Knowledge and Development: Livelihoods, health experiences and medicinal plant knowledge in a Mexican Biosphere Reserve," addresses topics of governance and conservation, ecotourism, and traditional medicine in the context of community development and conservation in the Biosphere Reserve.

Dr. Olson is familiar with the media and available for an interview. Simply visit her profile.

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