Alexander Hernandez
Staff Writer
The University of La Verne welcomed Pulitzer Prize winning author Héctor Tobar as this year’s annual “One Book, One University” speaker.
The first of two lectures took place at noon on Wednesday in the Athletics Pavillon before an audience of roughly 150. There was also a second community-wide lecture at 3 p.m. on the same day in the Morgan Auditorium.
Tobar wrote “Our Migrant Souls: A Meditation on Race and Meaning and Myths of Latino.” Tobar’s book, published in May 2023, explores facets of Latino identity, blending the historical with contemporary life to reflect on how ethnicity, race and cultural heritage are constructed in our society.
Most freshmen students read the book in their first-year writing class.
Tobar took the opportunity to speak on what it meant to grow up Latino, witnessing injustices and finding ways to move forward in a more unifying and powerful manner. He wanted to speak to all people by using his writing talents to shed light on these experiences.
“I’m a writer, so part of what I try to do when I write is to celebrate the power of language,” Tobar said. “Being able to write and hone a craft, be the son of immigrants who grew up in a lousy neighborhood in Los Angeles, made me be this public person, and gave me this power.”
The interactive talk featured a conversation with Tobar and Jacqueline Kozak, professor of writing. Students were encouraged to ask questions.
Freshman studio art major Jackie Nguyen was the first audience member to take the mic. She said Tobar’s story resonated with her, especially with her similar experiences growing up and wanting to express herself more in her life.
“When I was reading this, …I was absolutely fascinated by it,” Nguyen said. “It conceptualized a lot of issues that I noticed and were affected by growing up. And I think it’s a wonderful piece of work. I’m trying to practice more by thinking ‘I don’t care what people think’ and I do things for myself.”
Other students, like freshman criminology major Kendall Siebels, asked Tobar about who his target audience was when writing about the Latino experience. Siebels said that she comes from an area out of state, where there is not much Hispanic culture. Hearing Tobar’s words about unity and sharing a common story resonated with her.
“I really liked the fact that he said that he may or may not have focused solely on Hispanic stories,” Siebels said. “But that doesn’t mean that it’s exclusive to all other people’s stories. We share those commonalities and those similarities between our stories.”
Tobar left a lasting impression on students regarding the topic of identity and experience. His words resonated particularly with those who have Latino or Hispanic backgrounds.
“Being Latino is more than an ethnicity,” Bailey Martinez, freshman sociology major, said. “It’s about identity, experiences and stories and heritage. The Latino identity is not something simple, it’s very broad and it’s a shared journey among so many people.”
Tobar hopes that his and other storytellers’ works make an impact for representation on this community and on a national level.
“We tell stories and bring you experiences – that people very often have ignored – into the mainstream or into collective consciousness,” Tobar said. “Writing and storytelling helps make us a more democratic country and it helps us make a more fair country.”
Alexander Hernandez can be reached at alexander.hernandez3@laverne.edu.
Alexander Hernandez is a senior communications major with a concentration in public relations, and a staff writer for the Campus Times.
Antonio Ceniceros is a senior photography major and a staff photographer for the Campus Times and La Verne Magazine. He is also the lead photographer and social media manager for the University of La Verne’s football team, and currently specializes in sports, concert, and fashion photography. You can find his work on Instagram at @flicksbycinco..
